Top 25 Best Skateboarding Movies Of All Time For You - Must Watch

Skateboarding is a street sport that first appeared around the early 1950s in the United States. This subject receives a lot of love from the community, especially from young audiences. If you have a passion for this sport, you can completely get closer to this sport through books, newspapers, joining clubs, and especially through movies. This article will provide you with the Top 25 Best Skateboarding Movies, including fiction movies. Now, let’s read on to discover!

Best Skateboarding Movies – Top 10

Please note that the ranking is based on personal preferences and may vary for different individuals.

Bones Brigade: An Autobiography (2012)

• IMDb: 8.0 on 10
• Runtime: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Directed by: Stacy Peralta
• Featuring: Steve Caballero, Shepard Fairey, Tony Hawk, Fred Durst, Rodney Mullen, and many more.

The film tells the story of 6 boys who shared a passion for skateboarding in the 1980s. Together they formed a skate team and discovered more unique points of this art. In particular, they are also the ones who laid the foundation for the development of skateboarding later.

Minding The Gap (2018)

• IMDb: 8.0 on 10
• Runtime: 1 hour 33 minutes
• Directed by: Bing Liu
• Featuring: Keire Johnson, Zack Mulligan, and Bing Liu

Minding The Gap, a critically acclaimed movie at the 2018 American Film Festival, tells the story of three young men collaborating to break free from their troubled family lives in their Rust Belt hometown. Shot in the filmmaker’s own Rockford, IL, hometown, the film effortlessly draws a parallel between the tumultuous upbringing of these skateboarding friends and the enduring intricacies of youth.

Pretending I’m a Superman – The Tony Hawk Video Game Story (2020)

• IMDb: 8 on 10
• Runtime: 1 hour 13 minutes
• Directed by: Ludvig Gur
• Featuring: Tony Hawk, Chad Muska, Rodney Mullen, Jamie Thomas, Aaron Snyder, Scott Pease, Steve Caballero, etc

Pretending I’m a Superman is a documentary film by Swedish filmmaker Ludvig Gur penning creativity and innovation through classic skating videos combined with video games. The entire movie tells the history of skateboarding as well as the culture surrounding it. The film is also an inspirational document for many people.

Into The Void – Death Skateboards

• IMDb: 7.5 on 10
• Runtime: 48 minutes
• Directed by: Charlie Spelzini
• Featuring: Blinky, Ron Calow, Rob Smith, Timmy Garbett, MoggIns, Eddie Belvedere, Mike Simons, and many more.

The film features Richie Jackson, and all skaters watch and immerse in his skating moment. Besides, the film is also a film released to celebrate the 20th anniversary of establishing the most famous and oldest skateboard company in the UK – Death Skateboards.

Dogtown and Z-Boys (2002)

• IMDb: 7.7 on 10
• Runtime: 1 hour 31 minutes
• Directed by: Stacy Peralta
• Featuring: Sean Penn, Jay Adams, Tony Alva, and more.

So, if you’re into skateboarding, you gotta check out Dogtown and Z-Boys. This flick is all about how skateboarding started out back in the day – we’re talkin’ the 70s, when the Zephyr skateboarding crew was killin’ it and showing everyone what’s up. Don’t miss out!

Made in Venice (2016)

• IMDb: 6.5 on 10
• Runtime: 1 hour 17 minutes
• Directed by: Jonathan Penson
• Featuring: Jay Adams, Dave Duncan, and Susanne Melanie

The next film is Made in Venice, which premiered in 2016. The film depicts Veni’s journey to becoming a professional skater in the 80s and the process of bringing “street skating” to print a global map. However, the main goal of these young people is not to become skateboarding legends, and they want to have a skate park on Venice Beach for the community and the professional skaters of the future.

Propeller

• IMDb: 8.6 on 10
• Runtime: 1 hour 3 minutes
• Directed by: Greg Hunt
• Featuring: Andrew Allen, Ray Barbee.

Propeller is a documentary film that received a lot of public attention, first released by Vans in the United States. The film is a series of movies about the most famous characters and creating legends in the field of skateboarding. The Propeller is exclusive to the skateboarding world that possibly only Vans can provide such a holistic view.

The Motivation 2.0: Real American Skater

• IMDb: 6.9 on 10
• Runtime: 1 hour 16 minutes
• Directed by: Adam Bhala Lough
• Featuring: Tom Asta, Chris Cole, Rob Dyrdek, Edmund Bacon, and some other actors.

The upcoming movie is a motivating tale about a man who becomes a pioneer in the skateboarding world. It inspires younger generations as they witness the skater’s journey from a humble neighborhood to the elite realm of skateboarding. The film follows the skater’s year-long adventure in San Diego, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and China before its release to the public.

All This Mayhem 2014

• IMDb: 7.9 on 10
• Runtime: 1 hour 44 minutes
• Directed by: Spike Jonze
• Featuring: Tas Pappas, Ben Pappas, Lance Conklin, Tommy Caudill, and more.

The film tells the story of two brothers, Tas Pappas, and Ben Pappas. They become professional skateboarding champions but are tempted by drugs that lead to unnecessary harm in the development of this sport. In general, All This Mayhem has recreated a little-known dark corner through the story of the Pappas brothers about this skate sport.

The Motivation (2013)

• IMDb: 6.8 on 10
• Runtime: 1 hour 28 minutes
• Directed by: Adam Bhala Lough
• Featuring: Felix Arguelles, Steve Berra, Kelle Huston, Chris Cole, Rob Dyrdek, etc

The Motivation is a series of motivational films directed by acclaimed filmmaker Adam Bhala Lough. In the 2013 version comes the story of the best skaters preparing to participate in the Street League Championship. These athletes all have in common that they have to overcome pressure from family, money, or fame to compete and achieve the highest title. The film also got the participation of the biggest names in professional skateboarding today.

Waiting For Lightning (2012)

• IMDb: 7.3 on 10
• Runtime: 1 hour 36 minutes
• Directed by: Jacob Rosenberg
• Featuring: Danny Way, Laird Hamilton, Rob Dyrdek, and more

Waiting For Lighting is a documentary about the difficult childhood of famous skater Danny Way. The film also narrates a scene of his life when he slides on the Great Wall of China. Besides, the film gives viewers a bird’s-eye view of his contributions to the sport of skateboarding.

Dragonslayer (2011)

• IMDb: 5.9 on 10
• Runtime: 1 hour 14 minutes
• Directed by: Tristan Patterson
• Featuring: Sid Rocket, Josh “Skreech” Sandoval

Dragonslayer is a movie about the legendary figure skater Josh Sandoval. The film is about his love journey and development to later when he becomes a father. At this time, he realized that he needed to be more responsible for his family and son,

Skatopia: 88 Acres Of Anarchy (2010)

• IMDb: 6.6 on 10
• Runtime: 1 hour 39 minutes
• Directed by: Colin Powers and Laurie House
• Featuring: Laurie House, Fernanda Rossi, and Colin Powers

The film tells the story of Brewce Martin at the Skatopia ranch – where the heavy skating of anarchist groups takes place. The whole movie is about the happenings and events that Brewce experienced. The film celebrates the freedom from everyday life that Skatopia offers, but it also takes a hard look at the dark side of Brewce’s energy.

Alien Workshop Mind Field (2009)

• IMDb: 9.8 on 10
• Runtime: 60 minutes
• Directed by: Gray Hunt
• Featuring: Arto Saari, Josh Kalis, Steve Berra, AVE, Mikey Taylor, Heath Kirchart, and Jason Dill

Alien Workshop Mind Field is a comprehensive audiovisual product from AWS and has received a lot of positive feedback from the audience. The entire film combines many background music and skateboarding footage that any skateboarding enthusiast should hear and experience.

Fully Flared (2007)

• IMDb: 8.5 on 10
• Runtime: 1 hour 29 minutes
• Directed by: Ty Evans, Cory Weincheque, and Spike Jonze
• Featuring: Brandon Biebel, MikeMo Capaldi, Danny Brady, Mike Carroll, Cairo Foster, Jesus Fernandez, JB Gillet, etc

Fully Flared is the film that won Best Video of the Year. Throughout the film are video sections of street skateboards of the racers at Laika company. The film has become a cultural icon of professional skateboarding around the world.

Enjoi: Bag of Suck (2006)

• IMDb: 9 on 10
• Runtime: 46 minutes
• Directed by: Matt Eversole
• Featuring: Caswell Berry, Clark Hassler, Louie Barletta, Jerry Hsu, and Jose Rojo

Enjoi: Bag of Suck is one of the film critics’ top picks in the top skateboarding movies in the US. The film combines modern colors and classic black and white with unique skateboard footage of 6 professional skaters. The film brings excitement and passion to those who are learning about skateboards.

Cheese and Crackers (2006)

• IMDb: 9 on 10
• Runtime: 25 minutes
• Directed by: no credits
• Featuring: Chris Haslam, Cooper Wilt, Daewon Song, Lewis Marnell, Luis Cruz, James Craig, and Socrates Leal

Cheese and Crackers is a short film about the practice and performance of skateboarding by professional players. Besides entertainment purposes, the film gives viewers a more realistic view of the journey of training to become a professional skater.

BONUS: Best Skateboarding Movies (Fiction)

Aside from the factual and documentary films mentioned just before, here are nine sci-fi movies that might interest you:

Mid-90s (2018)

• IMDb: 7.3 on 10
• Runtime: 1 hour 25 minutes
• Directed by: Jonah Hill
• Featuring: Sunny Suljic, Lucas Hedges, Katherine Waterston, and others

The Mid 90s is one of the American teen comedy-drama films first written by Jonah Hill and released in 2018. The film’s first premiere took place on September 9. 2018, at the International Film Festival. The film was well-received and appreciated by film critics. The film is set around 1996 in Palm, Los Angeles, with the main character being a 12-year-old boy Steve who lives with his mother and brother. Steve first felt the inspiration and passion for skateboards when he was browsing the skate shop. From that moment, he felt his love and made a trade with his brother on a skateboard. He joined a youth skateboarding crew. In the days that followed, Steve had many ups and downs, but everything turned out fine in the end. The whole movie is full of classic colors and evokes memories.

Skate Kitchen (2018)

• IMDb: 6.8 on 10
• Runtime: 1 hour 46 minutes
• Directed by: Crystal Moselle
• Featuring: Rachelle Vinberg, Nina Moran, Dede Lovelace, Jaden Smith, and others

Skate Kitchen is a teen drama film that first premiered in 2018 in the US. The film tells the story of an 18-year-old Camille girl who lives with her single mother on Long Island. Camille is very passionate about skateboarding. However, she got seriously injured while skateboarding one day, so her mother asked her to promise to stop playing this sport. Camille was thinking about giving up, but she saw Skate Kitchen, a group of female professional skaters, one day. In the end, she still chose to join Skate Kitchen and didn’t tell her mother. However, her mother later found out and confiscated her skateboard. The story continues as Camille struggles with her mother about her passion for skateboarding.

Paranoid Park (2007)

• IMDb: 6.7 on 10
• Runtime: 1 hour 25 minutes
• Directed by: Gus Van Sant
• Featuring: Daniel Liu, Taylor Momsen, Gabe Nevins, and others

Paranoid Park is a psychosocial film written and directed by Gus Van Sant. The film is the story of 26-year-old Alex, a skater who is traveling on a train with a mysterious man. Yet, there was a commotion on the ship during the move, and Alex accidentally killed the ship’s guard with his skateboard. His life after that was harrowing, and he decided to write down his thoughts on paper to relieve his mood.

Lords Of Dogtown (2005)

• IMDb: 7.1 on 10
• Runtime: 1 hour 47 minutes
• Directed by: Catherine Hardwicke
• Featuring: Heath Ledger, Victor Rasuk, Emile Hirsch, and others

Lords Of Dogtown depicts a scene in Venice, California, where surfers Tony Alva, Stacy Peralta, and Jay Adams are enjoying their skating life. In fact, at this time, the culture of surfing and skateboarding is still little known. However, they have made plans to expand and develop a more significant skateboarding business. One thing Tony and Stacy have in common is skating for money instead of passion like the original, and only Jay continues to pursue it because he loves it.

Later on, Tony and Stacy became rivals and competed against each other in various competitions. Besides, Tony started creating ads that quickly exported goods thanks to his popularity. Jay accepts an offer of $10,000 to appear in a toy-sponsored ad. Overall, they are all very successful. By the end of the film, it is revealed that these athletes have all achieved outstanding achievements in the field of skateboarding. Tony Alva has become a skater and the sport’s first world champion; Stacy has started a new company, and Jay is still highly successful in his passion.

MVP2: Most Vertical Primate (2001)

• IMDb: 4 on 10
• Runtime: 1 hour 27 minutes
• Directed by: Robert Vince
• Featuring: Scott Goodman, Louie, Bob Burnquist, Richard Karn, Jane Sowerby, David Kaye, Tony Alcantar, and many more

After the popularity of the first part in 2000, MVP 2 was the second version released in 2001, with the main character being a fictional chimpanzee, Jack. Thanks to his cuteness, Jack was invited to participate in the activity by the Seattle Simians hockey team. Yet, one day, one of the teams named Carjackers made Jack pretend that he had bitten the finger of one of the players. Jack is not satisfied and decides to leave while the other Simians are looking for it. Then, Jack meets Ben, a boy figure skater who lives in a shack at an old swimming pool. There seems to be an invisible wire connected, Jack and Ben quickly become close, and the two go together. Jack realized that the boy had an excellent overboard ability when he was with Ben and encouraged him a lot. After that, Jack and Ben went to many places and participated in the open skate competition; they also reaped some achievements.

Kids (1995)

• IMDb: 7.1 on 10
• Runtime: 1 hour 21 minutes
• Directed by: Larry Clark
• Featuring: Leo Fitzpatrick, Chloë Sevigny, Justin Pierce, and many other celebrities.

Kids is an American teen drama film set in 1994, written by Larry Clark. The film had some noise and controversy about the film’s artistic merits after it was first released in 1995. The film revolves around a group of young people in New York City with a passion for skating but a hedonistic lifestyle. This film shows viewers a dark side of the lifestyle of today’s young Americans, thereby also sending a message related to safe sex.

Gleaming the Cube (1989)

• IMDb: 6.4 on 10
• Runtime: 1 hour 40 minutes
• Directed by: Graeme Clifford
• Featuring: Steven Bauer, Christian Slater, Richard Herd, and many more

Gleaming the Cube or otherwise known as A Brother’s Justice, debuted in 1989. The movie’s title refers to the somewhat confusing question Garry Scott once asked Neil during an interview in Thrasher magazine in December 1983. The film revolves around a high school student named Brian Kelly living in California. He is very passionate about skateboarding. Brian often indulges in it after having conflicts with his parents. Vinh, his adopted brother in Vietnam, the only person he could contact was working at an organization that sent supplies to Vietnam. Brian’s life will probably be exemplary until Vinh’s death suddenly strikes. He doesn’t believe Vinh committed suicide, Brian decides to investigate his brother’s death. Brian went through many difficulties, and according to the reveal of the ending, everything was clear. Brian continues to return to school, and the rhythm of life begins again.

Thrashin’ (1986)

• IMDb: 6.7 on 10
• Runtime: 1 hour 33 minutes
• Directed by: David Winters
• Featuring: Josh Brolin, Pamela Gidley, Robert Rusler, and many more

Thrashin’ is an American figure skater drama film directed by David Winters. This skater, Corey Webster, is from the suburbs. The film unfolds after he decides to go with his friends to Los Angeles with the ambition to win a competition he once coached. In Los Angeles, Corey has a crush on a blonde girl named Chrissy. However, it’s pretty ironic when Chrissy is the sister of a skater gang against Corey. They fought, and Hook – Chrissy’s brother, was not happy about this relationship. One night, Hook and Corey had a confrontation. Corey was injured, and he assumed his girlfriend wasn’t there when he needed it. Chrissy is heartbroken, and she decides to move back to Indiana. Corey is sorrowful later, and he misses Chrissy. However, the story ends well after many events when Hook considers Corey a respectable person and accepts Corey and his sister’s love.

Skateboard (1978)

• IMDb: 5.5 on 10
• Runtime: 1 hour 37 minutes
• Directed by: George Gage
• Featuring: Allen Garfield, Leif Garrett, Kathleen Lloyd, and many more

Skateboard is a sports movie in the US with two famous actors Allen Garfield and Leif Garrett, especially with the guest appearance that is widely known to viewers as Tony Bluetile. The film revolves around the story of Manny Bloom, a Hollywood agent. However, he is in debt to Sol – a powerful bookie with a large amount of money. Manny tried to find ways to repay Sol as soon as possible. Yet, this is not really simply because the amount of money he owes is enormous. But fortunately, at a time when he had no other choice, news about the downhill competition attracted him. He decides to form a group of exceptionally talented skaters and join them in a skate competition. Manny’s excitement boils over when he sees a prize of up to $20,000 if he and his teammates win. Please watch the movie to know the final result of the match.

>>> Related Post: The Best Skateboarders Of All Time: Things to know

FAQs

Q: What are the Best Skateboarding Movies in 2023?

A: We rank the top skateboarding movies of all time as follows: Bones Brigade, Gleaming the Cube, Skate Kitchen, Dogtown and Z-Boys, Paranoid Park, Street Dreams, Lords of Dogtown, Mid90s, Mayhem, Back to the Future, Skateboard Madness, Young Guns 1, Grind, Skateboarder, Haggard, The Search for Animal Chin, Boyhood, Assault Skaters, Heavy Metal 2000, All For One, North Shore, The Death of a Skateboarder, Uncompleted Skate Movie.

Q: What is the significance of the movie “Dogtown and Z-Boys”?

A: “Dogtown and Z-Boys” is a documentary about the birth of skateboarding in the 1970s and the influential skate team from Santa Monica, California. In skateboarding culture, it’s considered a classic and a significant factor in skateboarding’s history and evolution.

Q: What other popular skateboarding movies should I watch?

A: Some other popular skateboarding movies include “Lords of Dogtown”, “Mid90s”, “Street Dreams”, “Mayhem”, “Back to the Future”, and “Skateboard Madness”.

Q: What are some common themes in skateboarding movies?

A: Skateboarding movies often feature themes related to the skateboarding community and culture, skateboarding competitions, and skateboarding culture.

Q: What is the significance of skateboarding culture?

A: Skateboarding culture is perceived as a movement that represents the experience of individuality, creativity, and freedom of expression. The community is full of like-minded people who share a common passion for skateboarding, art, music, and social justice. Skateboarding culture has made a mark on fashion and will undoubtedly continue to influence fashion and cultural trends in the future.

Q: What are some must-watch skateboarding documentaries?

A: Some must-watch skateboarding documentaries include “Dogtown and Z-Boys”, “Bones Brigade”, “Rise and Fall of the City Shapers”, and “Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator”.

Q: Who are some skateboarding legends?

A: Some skateboarding legends include Tony Hawk, Christian Hosoi, Lance Mountain, Rodney Mullen, and Steve Caballero.

Q: What is the history of skateboarding?

A: Skateboarding originated in the late 1940s and early 1950s in California as a way for surfers to practice when waves were not present. Skateboarding evolved into a sport and culture on its own, growing in popularity through the decades and going through various ups and downs.

Q: How has skateboarding evolved over time?

A: Skateboarding has evolved from one of the first skateboarding competitions in the 1960s to a global phenomenon today. Adapting to technological change has led to new styles of skating, including street skating, park skating, and vert skating. With the advent of competitions and media representation, skateboarding has become more mainstream.

Final Words

In general, the issues surrounding the life of professional skaters or skateboard enthusiasts are portrayed through The Top 25 Best Skateboarding Movies that the article mentioned just before. We hope these movies will give you motivation and increase the excitement of your passion. Take the time to enjoy the movies you like, whether old or new in the present, and they are sure to convey a meaningful message to you.