Screening "Preserving History Through Print" at Grinderz
Thursday Feb 9th, 2023.
We first got in contact with Kevin through Instagram. I would see his posts and would get stoked on the images of old magazines, that would ultimately take me back in time.
If you haven't noticed already, our Mini Docs cover the stories of people that have an endless passion for what they do, which is ultimately what we are about. When we first thought of producing a mini-doc on Lookback Library, we had no idea how deep his passion for keeping print alive and sharing the history of skateboarding really was, or should I say, is. It takes a special kind of human to allow your passion to consume pretty much all of your time, as well as a good chunk of your personal space.
As the video came together, I often found myself in awe. The appreciation for what Kevin does seems to hit you like a brick wall.
Once it came together, we though it would cool to have a screening with some close friends and family. We decided to hit up Ryan at Grinderz, to which he said it would be no problem at all. Grinderz has always supported us, and we thank them for that. Thanks Ryan!
A few of us met up at Vans for an early session, which ended up being real good time hanging out with friends. We headed to Grinderz to set up once it got dark. It was really cool to see people cruise in and enjoy some burgers before the screening. Kevin brought in a handful of magazines for everyone to pass around and check out. All of the talking, laughing, and eating really made it feel as if we had invited everyone to a backyard party.
Once we hit play, it quickly got silent, and as the video went on, I could hear some gasps, as people realized just how deep Kevin goes with Lookback Library. I would have to say that the best part about it was hearing some of the comments people made once it was over. Some people said that they have know Kevin for years, and had no idea how deep Kevin's collection went, while other simply said they felt inspired. It was a real good time with really great people. Hats off to Xander, for putting together another great doc.
Years ago, I threw out a few boxes of old magazines... it was a lot of magazines. I later realized that I should have kept them. Just like anything in life, you don't really realize what you have, until its gone. Thank you Kevin, for helping me look back and appreciate the different generations of skateboarding, taking me back to when I was a kid and discovering what skateboarding was, and ultimately keeping alive what some would consider history books. You are truly appreciated.
if you haven't watched it, please do. Its a great one. Watch it here.
