Acne and Awkwardness: Early to Mid 2000 Skate Ads: A Retrospectively Hilarious Time

I started skating in the mid to late 1990's. An era in our culture, coinciding with the golden era in hip hop, can be called golden in it's own right. I like to look at skateboarding as though the late 70's and 1980's were the fetal stages of skateboarding. When the necessary components for survival and progression were developed. If that is the case, then perhaps the 90's were skateboarding's childhood. A period where live alternated between immense influence, learning, experimentation, embarassment and consistent fun. With that being said the early and mid 2000's were without a doubt skateboarding's pre-pubescent and adolescent stage. The part of the life cycle where we take what we learned in childhood and try to determine how that will shape who we become in the future. It is only natural that during this time there is an abundance of monumental stepping stones, alternating between celebratory and shameful in nature, but almost always undeniably awkward. With that in mind I want to take a look back at the the art direction and vibe behind some of the raddest and whackest ads of this time. Oh what a time it was. My definite overall favorite re-occuring theme in thse adds, based entirely on hilarity factor; is the tight pants bulky shoe combo. And I thought only our poster boy Z. Morris could pull that steeze off.