This video, uploaded by 1970s pro skateboarder Brian Beardsly of the California Freeformer team, is one of the videos from that era that blows me away.

The skater is Dennis Martinez, who was one of the great all-terrain rippers of the mid to late 1970s. This particular contest run at the Longbeach contest in 1977 was EXTREMELY progressive at the time. His run, as well as that of Doug “Pineapple” Saladino, were a look at where things were going in freestyle. Doug told me in a Facebook message that the floor was really slick. They both ruled. Dennis sadly developed a drug problem like so many people from those days and spent some time in prison, but has been clean for many years and seeks to help others.

The embedded video displays really small on this blog, so do full screen.