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Skateboarding’s Most Notorious Enforcer: Jesse Martinez interview by Chris Nieratko

Jesse Martinez

Interview by Chris Nieratko

Photos by Dan Levy (@Juicedan) and Ted Terrebonne

The Dogtown/Zephyr skate teams of the ‘70s may have sparked the Venice Beach, California skate scene, but it was the unruly ‘80s Venice locals, headed by Jesse Martinez, that doused it in gasoline to see how high the flames would go.

Born in 1965 and raised in Venice, in a gang-infested neighborhood, 50-year-old, Jesse Martinez, found salvation on his skateboard, but not without bringing some of his home-life with him. While most pros of his day were rocking day-glo spandex and surf trunks, Jesse sported full cholo gear in advertisements. He needed no marketing gimmick and his background set him apart as one of skateboarding’s most notorious enforcers. His brawls are the stuff of legend. While riding for the wholesome Bones Brigade, he knocked a guy out at a demo for slapping Lance Mountain. Another time, in self-defense, he threw a guy down a set of stairs at Disneyland, the happiest place on Earth.

At a time when skateboarding was making a shift from backyard ramps to street skating and searching for an identity, Jesse became the poster boy for the code of the streets. His documented defense of both himself and his local scene empowered an entire generation of skaters.

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Jesse Martinez Photo by Ted Terrebonne

The new documentary, Made In Venice, (Directed by Jonathan Penson. In select theaters now) focusing on the 20-year battle to get the most expensive skatepark in the world built could have just as easily been a documentary about Jesse Martinez with the skatepark as the back drop. Jesse is infinitely more interesting and charismatic than any 16,000 sq. ft cement plot and the truth is for more than three decades Jesse has been the lifeblood of the humble Venice community. By the same token, the Venice scene is what keeps Jesse alive and I think he’d truly die without his role as steward to the old neighborhood.

I caught up with Jesse in a back alley in Venice on the two-year anniversary of the passing of original Z-Boy and our dear friend, Jay Adams, to discuss his love for his city and the many opportunities to get off the streets of Venice that he’s passed up on over the years.

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Mess grinds Bel-Air backyarder. Photo by Ted Terrebonne

What is your earliest memory of Venice Beach, Jesse?

I was living with my mom, and my grandmother lived across the alley over on Sunset. I was like 5 and I remember my Uncle Wes waking me up like, “Get up! Get up!” He runs to the window with me and said, “Run to your Grandma’s!” Then drops me out the window. Right when he did, a bunch of narcs passed me with shotguns, and then a bunch of those stun grenades went off. I remember running across the alley and my grandma came running and grabbed me. I think it’s a memory stuck in my mind because of the flash of the concussion grenades.

What happened with your uncle?

They went on a vacation for a little while. They got out eventually; everything was cool.

At what point does Venice change from just where you live and become home?

It’s still there in a weird way but, in our day, to be from Venice, you stood up for the neighborhood. You stood up for all your buddies in the neighborhood. Sometimes whether right or wrong it doesn’t matter, you stand up for them. We weren’t a gang. There was more than one hundred of us… it was more of a tight brotherhood. Even with the local gangs, whether they were Mexican or black, we had mutual respect. The skaters and surfers actually intertwined with the local gangs; we were actually family, friends, and brothers with them. My actual family were all gang members, yet here I am skating and surfing, and a lot of us were like that in Venice. There were just offshoots, cousins, brothers of gang members, so it was like this camaraderie. I miss it.

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Mess and the next generation at Venice Skatepark. Photo by Dan Levy

It’s a new type of Venice. The way the new kids have that pride, “This is Venice. This is Dogtown.” The difference between then and now is you don’t have to live in Venice anymore to be apart of that group now. I remember when I would walk out to that beach and I would know every single person down there skating the ramp, but the crew I grew up with are now gone. Some of them are in jail, maybe a couple are dead, but the majority of them no longer live in Venice. That’s what made Venice, Venice: everybody knew each other, block by block. I’m talking generations; after brothers, after cousins, marriages… It literally took 70 years to create this tight brotherhood. You could walk anywhere in that neighborhood and not fear anything really and everybody had your back, but now it’s a different type of vibe in Venice. It’s this mixed with the new and the old. The one thing I’ve noticed, we’ve got a lot of these, “new people,” who have moved in the last 17 years or so. Well, they have kids, and their kids were small then. Now I see them, they’re like 17, 18, hanging out at the park. Some of those kids are actually born here in Venice. You can’t get anymore Venice than that. Those kids are going to be completely sucked into this Dogtown/Venice way of life. There’s no stopping that.

Do you think that’s true forever? Venice has been gentrified with the influx of techies washing up on Silicone Beach.

Well, the Beverly/Venice crowd, they’re cool people. You can’t help if they happened to choose the right thing to be into. We were into skateboarding while this guy was into some computer things. That was his gig. That’s what he likes. What he liked happened to make $450,000 a year. I just happened to like skateboarding, which made $37,000 a year. It’s just the way it is. You’re either into something that makes a lot of money and you’re in there, or not. Who doesn’t want to live by the beach? Come on, man, you can’t blame them.

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Venice Old "Skatepark" Ollie. Photo by Terri Craft

Speaking of lucrative ventures, I wanted to ask how you and Steve Rocco started World?

That’s a strange one. At the same time Rocco had gotten fired from Vision, Powell gave me the boot, so me and Rocco are both floating out there. I rode for Santa Cruz for a minute. It just didn’t work out; love Santa Cruz though, great guys, it just didn’t work out. From there I went to a meeting with G&S with Neil Blender, one of the baddest dudes on the earth. It just so happens I was heading home and driving through Hermosa Beach and I think I ran into Sal, Rocco’s brother. He’s like, “Hey, Jesse, my brother wanted to talk to you about something.” So I connected with Rocco, and I went over to his condo in Redondo Beach. He’s like, “I want to talk to you about starting a company. I’ve already talked to Skip [Engblom] and Natas [Kaupas] about starting Santa Monica Airlines.” I’m all, “Yeah, man, sounds good. Right now I’m right in between teams. I don’t have anybody. What’s in it for me?” “We’ll make you so-so percentage of the company, blah blah blah…” Long story short, I wound up living in a room in his condo and he is all like, “Okay listen. I haven’t paid the rent in a couple of months. We’re going to be evicted.” He just made the deal that I could live with him and start S.M.A. with him. So this landlord goes crazy and comes down to the basement and starts shooting a gun off. He brings all kinds of heat on the apartment. Rocco bails and leaves me in the apartment all alone. Anyway, we’re still moving forward on S.M.A. Rocco/Natas division. Short history of S.M.A., Rocco, Jesse, Natas, Skip, we all had our own divisions. Our boards snapped on impact. It totally sucked. Our graphics were cool. It was real weird what happened. One day I walked into the storage locker and Rocco goes, “Skip and Natas left us!” and I go, “What do you mean ‘us’?” We’d always been the three musketeers, me, Skip and Natas, who came up from nothing. He goes, “Yup. Cease and Desist S.M.A. We’re going to just use a new name.” Rocco was pissed and really in revenge mode. I guess that’s how World Industries came into play. That’s what really ignited Rocco, that separation of Rocco and Natas and Skip.

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Desmond Shepherd, Christian Hosoi, Leandre Sanders, Steve Olson,
Joe Shmoe, Haden McKenna, Jesse Martinez, Peck, Victor Blue. Photo by Dan Levy

We went off and started World Industries after that. I was out there hustling to make ends meet and I wasn’t getting paid for my destructible model that broke on impact. Then things started picking up all of a sudden. I came out with my Commit model and that board sold great. All of a sudden, I blink my eyes one day or I think I went to jail, I get out and the next thing you know Jason Jessee is riding on the team; Jeremy Klein, Ron Chatman, Jeff Hartsel, Mike V… Marc McKee became the artist back then. It seemed to just take off. People told us we were dead because we didn’t have any vert riders. I remember guys commenting, “Jesse, you should just leave it now. Come and ride for us.” I made a deal with Rocco, so I was going to stick with it and see what happens. Rodney Mullen came out of nowhere and that was a big deal. That started a three or four year battle between Powell Peralta and World Industries. If those two just would have had half a brain and known that it wasn’t a big deal to argue over what had happened with Rodney and Mike V coming over, shit they both just should’ve given me that money they spent on lawyers and they would’ve felt good at the end. They spent an astronomical amount on bitching at each other in court. But anyway, everything seemed to be going good back then. Rocco had a Porsche… Mike V was punching holes in the walls… everything was killer. Money was flowing. The boys were ripping. We had the baddest team in the world. What was being created in the moment we were living was the new era of skating – the new street skating. That’s one thing I’ll give World Industries and Rocco, they started, ‘One company is not enough. You don’t have to win a contest to sell models.’ They were the first guys to actually concentrate on just the skater. The video pro was born. Rocco showed everybody how to have not just one company but a monopoly of companies together. Why not be your own competition? It made skating crazier than it was already. Big Brother, all that, and there was the madness that came along with World… Rubbish Heap was the first video where there was just clowning instead of being so serious.

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Julien Martinez, Mess and Jamie Quaintance. Photo by Dan Levy

Let’s talk about the situation with the Venice Skatepark. I know it’s difficult for you to take money in general, even when you’re doing work that deserves payment. You’re promoting this Made In Venice documentary on the fight for the Venice Skatepark, but somehow you’ve become the guy out there every morning cleaning the skatepark free of charge. How does that happen? Why aren’t you being paid for your service?

The movie is one thing, but the shit that has gone on throughout time with the city and the park, that’s a whole other movie in itself. That’s not a good movie. As in life, nothing’s easy, whether you’re doing it with your friends or not. With the skate park and the city and me… you’ve got to understand my background; there was a time on that beach when we were always there, we were in the mix, always problems and cops. So when the time came that I decided to start cleaning the park, I already had this slight reputation with the police and the city. They knew about me, they knew about my brothers, they knew about my family. We started off on the wrong foot. I admit I had built a bad relationship with the civic division all my life. There was a lot of friction between me and them and my family throughout my whole entire life. Now it’s different. There are new cops. They’re young dudes. The old ones were more hardcore. They’d beat the shit out of you, strip you down and take you to the cemetery in Santa Monica. That was the old days when crazy shit went down like that.

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Mess Jump Ramp Venice. Photo by Dan Levy

We had finally gotten the park and we started cleaning it and the city at first was like, “Whoa, what the hell?” One day the city guy tells me to keep cleaning, and I told him we were going to sleep there tonight. For a month, we slept in that park with tents. We had power, TV, heaters… it was insane. We grew up here, born and raised, skating, terrorizing, now we’re sleeping in our own park. Nathan Pratt was giving me money each month to clean the park and immediately reached out to some of his buddies and got money brought into the bank account. What do you need? Supplies? Pressure washer broke down? Go take care of it. Nathan is like that. I did what I was supposed to do and Nathan did what he was supposed to do. It was the best year and half that park had ever seen… sparkling clean every day. Here was the real problem. When Nathan Pratt came in, we had handed the City of Los Angeles a contract stating we wanted a 5-year agreement. They said no. We came back with another contract for a 1-year agreement saying, at the end of this year, we’re going to get a 5-year agreement. This was just for us to hold off so they could make it all straight. Then Nathan would come back with the 5-year deal. At the end of all that, they said, “No deal, you’re out.” It was out of the blue.

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Jesse and J-Boy. Photo by Dan Levy

So that was that, but I guess they don’t know me very well. I guess they thought I was just going to go away. Nathan sat me down that day and told me by law, we’re a legal nonprofit that pays you for what you do up there, but now you’re not doing it, and we don’t have a contract anymore to justify paying. He’s right. That’s how shit goes in the real world. So he told me for now he can’t pay me, but if I want to keep cleaning that park it’s on me. I have no insurance, no right of entry, no driver permit… They took all my shit, my keys, my power, everything. I let it go for about three or four days. I was bewildered, and Nathan was figuring out his angle. I walked to the park after three or four days, and it was destroyed. I looked at everybody asking, “What’s the deal? Isn’t the city coming? We just had a meeting where they booted me!” They said no one was coming, for four days. So I went home and got all my equipment working, got my blower and everything I needed for the next morning. I called one of my friends up who is down for the action. I don’t mean violent action. He’s like a political guy. He’s got my back. He said if they get me and throw me into jail, he’d film everything. I decided to drive on to that beach and clean that whole park and see what happens, because I have no insurance. I have no right to drive on the beach anymore. My friend was out there with his camera, infrared binoculars, waiting for the action to go down. I drove on out there and nobody said nothing. I cleaned the whole park. For 18 months now, that’s exactly what I’ve been doing with no insurance, no drive-up permit and no right of entry. For years, they rode my ass for all of that stuff. What the hell am I doing there with no insurance?

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Eric "Tuma" Britton, Dan Levy, Jesse Martinez, Jereme "Stony" Schadler. Photo by Terri Craft

What time do you get out there?

I get out there between 5-5:30AM every day. It takes about 2 and a half to 3 hours.

 

7 days a week?

No, of course not. Are you crazy? Anywhere between five and six days a week I go.

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Sepulveda Dam. Photo by Ted Terrebonne

It’s on them to keep the park clean. Why aren’t they paying you? What’s their reason?

I’d say about 2-3 weeks went by when I was routinely cleaning the park and a few of the people from Venice, I told them my situation, that I was pretty much solo now. People started coming down to the park and giving me money for cleaning, like $50 or $100. Out of nowhere this one lady, Stephanie, she was head of Parks & Rec of Rancho Park. She came up to me with two or three officials while I’m cleaning and asks if I’m Jesse Martinez. She said she wanted to talk to me. I was shocked when they asked what I did out there. I’d been out there for probably four and half years, five years, when all of this happened. So I told them real quick what I did; sweep and broom crap. They said they wanted to hire me. I filled out an application and we had an agreement. They ran my background and came back with a misdemeanor from ’83 and from ’89, which was nothing, but they denied me the job. Once again I kept on coming. The head of LA County maintenance came up to me, Wilfredo. He’s out of the Venice office on Sunset. He came up to me on the beach and tells me to get my record expunged and they’ll hire me. I could work for Parks & Rec, their division, LA County maintenance. It’s a different division that has to take care of the park now. So I get my record expunged and hand him the paperwork a month or two ago, and nothing. That was a waste of $1,000. I can’t tell you how many cupcakes and Diet Cokes that was. I was pissed. So I’m online pounding videos out there, showing everybody what I do and how dirty, and what a shitty job their people do. They have three separate divisions to do what I do: Parks & Rec, LA County maintenance, and LA County graffiti. They still can’t keep it as clean as I do by myself. So they’re wasting $150,000 a year to do nothing. That’s usual. It’s LA County. I’m not saying they’re all bad.

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Ennis Miller, Chris "Cooksie" Cook, Jesse Martinez, Aaron "Fingers" Murray. Photo by Dan Levy

Out of the blue, through Scott Oster, I get this phone call from a guy named Sean, who skated for Z Flex as an amateur for a little while back in the day. He said he had some influence in the city with a lot of friends and connections. He said he’d try to do something for me. Through the years, I’ve had some pretty heavy guys that have supported me and have tried to work this out between me and the city. They’ve all tried their best and they’ve all backed me, and still back me. This guy, I don’t know how he does it, but he somehow gets Councilman Mike Bonin to respond, so he set up a meeting last week. We walk into his office and there’s Mike Bonin, super cool dude. Sean starts talking to Mike about the situation between me and the city. Sean is really knowledgeable about how the city really works. Maybe that’s why he said he’d do the talking. He proposed a deal to Mike Bonin for the Venice Skatepark Foundation to get me and Nathan right of entry along with a few other pluses. We’re throwing around the idea of a certain amount of money for pay for me every month. Bonin’s reaction, I’d give it a 50/50. Bonin said he’s going to reach out to Parks & Rec and the higher ups with the deal and try to work something out. That was a week ago, so we’re going to see how it goes. Bonin is supposed to get back to me. That’s where I stand right now as far as with the city.

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Jesse Martinez grabs coping from Gonzales pool destruction. Photo by Jonathan Penson

What’s that park mean to you? What keeps you going back every single day to clean this place?

There are two reasons why I keep going back there. One I don’t want to admit, but I will, because it happens all the time to me. I’ll be there cleaning the park, frustrated as hell about the whole situation. I’ve scraped up barely enough money for gas just to get there. I’m all pissed, I can’t even buy cigarettes, and I’m cleaning. Then some small kid will show up, just a regular Joe kid with a parent, and they’ll say, “Thank you so much for cleaning up the park!” That’s why I continue to clean this park.

On the other hand, it’s my Dogtown, Venice, Santa Monica Airlines, Zephyr pride that says this is our neighborhood, and I don’t need your job. I don’t need your money. I’m going to take care of the neighborhood whether you guys pay me or not or give me your blessing or not, it doesn’t matter. Yeah, those are the two reasons I keep going back. That pride in the neighborhood and knowing what I’m doing has set up the next generation. I said this seven years ago before the park opened… we were short pros… all the pros we had were running their course… all legends… Venice was short of pros. I could see it. If we don’t do something now, the future of Dogtown, Venice, Venice Originals and all that pride, it’d be gone. So I took it upon myself to stay at that park all day making sure it was clean, stopping the fighting and drinking, talking to all the kids, helping them get better. At that time, I was skating vert a lot, so I was showing guys how to do things and to set up, and also building that pride of Dogtown. We were running short on the crew. We had a few dudes popping in, but I knew it was my sole responsibility that these kids knew where they were and knew what they would become. One year went by… two years went by… three, four… I told people I’d give it five years before two or three of these kids, all of a sudden, bust out Dogtown style and Dogtown way, Venice way. Sure enough, five years later, here came Haden, my son Julian and his crew, and they were all ripping. I remember one day I walked in there and a couple of the dudes were just ripping. I’ve seen a lot of rippers. I know when people are ripping. That’s the first time I went back and watched Blake. I remember thinking to myself, “My job is done. It’s over. They’re here.” The next Dogtown crew is here. They act like Dogtown boys. They rip like Dogtown boys. They have style like Dogtown boys. Who cares if half of them don’t become pros? They’re acting and skating like Dogtown boys. I almost quit then and there, but then I started thinking, “Ah, I’ve got to start cleaning.” I kept on cleaning because I know there’s a bunch of new kids coming up. That park needs to be clean. Those are the reasons I love Venice. My mother was born there, my brother was born there, I was born there. My two sons, thank God, were born there. But it is the end of a generation of my family, my bloodline being born in Venice because unfortunately the odds are crazy slim that I’ll ever be able to afford a house in Venice ever again. That cycle is broken probably four, five generations. In my family it goes even deeper, it’s done. That was one of the things I had to really fight at the beginning with new people coming in as the financial genocide took over the neighborhood. One by one people were moving out. They couldn’t afford it anymore. Stores got more expensive, tickets got more expensive. More things in the neighborhood were wrong now. What was right in the old days, maybe when the police looked away in the old days, they didn’t look away anymore. The petty shit now meant something. Flicking somebody off meant nothing now. In the old days ,if you flicked someone off in their car, both cars stopped and shit was handled. Now people argue for hours on the beach and pull their phones out. They have arguments that go for weeks and months online. In the old days, there was none of that. If you had a problem it was dealt with immediately right there in Venice. No problem in Venice ever went on for weeks. That shit was handled immediately, and I miss that.

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Tuma, Stony and Mess fs air. Photo by Ted Terrebonne

That park is your lifeline to Venice?

That is one of the last holdouts for the old way of Venice. For all the kids and all the old guys. We’re still there. We still come to the park, and we still meet at the park. I want that park to say ‘Welcome To Venice.’

To read the rest of Jesse’s interview with Nieratko, go to Vice.com.

http://www.vice.com/read/venice-skatepark-jesse-martinez/

Click to find a theatre near you showing Made In Venice

http://madeinvenicemovie.com

Follow @Nieratko for more skateboard content.

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Mess bs method at the Venice Skatepark. Photo by Dan Levy

MORE ABOUT MADE IN VENICE THE MOVIE:

Made In Venice, a documentary featuring the inside story of the skateboarders of Venice, California, and their struggle to make the dream of a skatepark come true, is now being released in select theaters across the nation, via Abramorama. The feature-length documentary carries the viewer through the history of Venice to present day, as it tells the story of the decades it took a relentless crew of skateboarders, surfers and civic activists to convince the City of Los Angeles to build a skatepark in the area that gave birth to modern skateboarding.

Made In Venice is not just a skate movie. It’s a tale of audacity, guts and hope filled with counterculture characters that overcame all obstacles to claim victory for the masses. Anyone that has fought for what they want can identify with this film. This is the story of visionaries that refused to give up the goal to build concrete terrain for future generations.

The film captures the firsthand stories and recollections of 40-plus years of skateboarding in Venice that started with the Z-Boys, and continued with its legendary street skaters and the iconic Venice Skatepark. Never-before-seen Super-8 and early video footage, along with rare black and white stills, take you back to innovative demos on the Boardwalk and skating the walls of the Pavilion, as the Venice skaters pushed the boundaries of street skating and put it on the global map.

Made In Venice features appearances by skateboarding legends, professionals, heroes, skatepark activists and skate icons:  Jesse Martinez, Geri Lewis, Christian Hosoi, C.R. Stecyk III, Skip Engblom, Jay Adams, Jeff Ho, Aaron Murray, Scott Oster, Cesario “Block” Montano, Jim Muir, Tim Jackson, Ray Flores, Eddie Reategui, Eric Britton, Dave Duncan, David Hackett, Joey Tran, Pat Ngoho, Wally Hollyday, Jimbo Quaintance, Joff Drinkwater, Nathan Pratt, Solo Scott, Jamie Quaintance, Asher Bradshaw, Kiko Francisco, Bart Saric, Heidi Lemmon, Anthony “Tonan” Ruiz, Lance Lemond, Susanne Melanie Berry, Jereme Schadler, Dennis Ogden, Steve Mayorga, Julien Martinez, Victor Blue, Steve “Primo” Primeau, Mary Prideaux, Lauren Seagrave, Katie Sullivan, Adam Hamilton, Karington Smith, Mike Sherrod, Pauline Bronon, Mario Narango, Zack Wormhoudt and many more.

Made In Venice will be showing Aug 25-Sept 1 at the Laemmle Monica in Santa Monica, California. Following its Los Angeles openings, the film will roll out in theaters across the country, including skateboarding hotspots such as Seattle, Portland, Salt Lake City, Denver, New York City and more.

Opening night, Thursday, Aug 25th, sold out in less than 24 hours, so opening nights with the cast have been extended to the Pasadena (8/30) and Hollywood (8/31) shows too.

MADE IN VENICE MOVIE:  Screening Dates and Locations
8/25 – Laemmle Monica – Santa Monica, CA – 7:30PM
8/26 – Laemmle Monica – Santa Monica, CA – 9:55PM
8/27 – Laemmle Monica – Santa Monica, CA – 10:00AM
8/27 – Laemmle Monica – Santa Monica, CA – 9:55PM
8/28 – Laemmle Monica – Santa Monica, CA – 10:00AM
8/28 – Laemmle Monica – Santa Monica, CA – 7:30PM
8/29 – Laemmle Monica – Santa Monica, CA – 9:55PM
8/30 – Laemmle Monica – Santa Monica, CA – 9:55PM
8/30 – Laemmle Playhouse 7 – Pasadena, CA – 7:30PM
8/31 – Laemmle Monica – Santa Monica, CA – 9:55PM
8/31 – Laemmle NoHo 7 – North Hollywood, CA – 7:30PM
8/31 – Megaplex Gateway Theatre – Salt Lake City, UT – 7:00PM
8/31 – The Maple Theater & Kitchen, Detroit, MI – 7:00PM
9/1 – Laemmle Monica – Santa Monica, CA – 9:55PM
9/1 – NorthWest Film Forum – Seattle, WA – 8:00PM
9/5 – Gateway Film Center – Columbus, OH – 9:00PM
9/7 – SIE Film Center – Denver, CO – 7:30PM
9/8 – Krikorian Buena Park, Buena Park, CA – 7:30PM
9/8 – Kirkorian Downey Cinema 10, Downey, CA – 7:30PM
9/8 – Krikorian Monrovia Cinema 12 – Monrovia, CA – 7:30PM
9/8 – Krikorian Redlands Cinema – Redlands, CA – 7:30PM
9/8 – Krikorian San Clemente Cinema – San Clemente, CA – 7:30PM
9/11 – Hollywood Theatre – Portland, OR – 7:30PM

MADE IN VENICE SOCIAL MEDIA:
Facebook @Made In Venice – The Movie
Instagram @madeinvenicemovie
Twitter @madeinvenicedoc
Tumblr @madeinvenicemovie
Tag #madeinvenicemovie for all social media.

For more information and upcoming screening dates go to

www.madeinvenicemovie.com

Made In Venice Trailer:

What people are saying about Made In Venice!

“If the 2001 documentary “Dog Town and Z-Boys” engagingly gave Southern California’s skateboard culture its influential due, then “Made in Venice” comes across as its scrappy, but no less lovable, kid brother.” L.A. Times

“Jesse Martinez has been in the game for a long time. Peep the vid of the Venice scene and the influence they had on the skateboard world. When Jesse talks, you listen and he has a Thrasher tatt. A true lifer gets it on wax for all to see. Check it. – Thrasher

“The saga of Venice Beach Skatepark, one of skateboarding’s most remarkable David-and-Goliath stories, gets the documentary treatment this week with the release of Made In Venice. The path to completing the Jesse Martinez-designed park was twenty years in the making, but many of the young skaters who travel from far and wide to skate there may be unaware of the harrowing journey involved: the acres of bureaucratic red tape; misinformed or just plain antagonistic opponents gumming up the works; the continually evolving environment and realities of fighting for a piece of real estate at the second-most visited tourist attraction in So Cal. The whole experience wasn’t exactly a day at the beach…”  – The Skateboard Mag

They fought for a skatepark to keep DogTown alive, is the mantra of Made In Venice, a film documenting the history of Venice Skatepark. With footage shot over 40-years ago, some seen for the first time, Made In Venice takes you through the history of the 70s, 80s, and 90s, to the current skatepark on the sand. Essentially, the film is a window into skateboarding’s history, paying tribute to those who fought to keep a skatepark in Venice to forever keep skateboarding rooted where it was born. – The Berrics

Made in Venice – The Movie is a story about skatepark advocacy in one of the most colorful places on the planet. Check it out!” – Tony Hawk Foundation

Made in Venice – the movie – a must see! This film is an essential piece of history, acknowledging and paying tribute to the ground soldiers whose tireless efforts brought to fruition a skatepark on the sand that millions now enjoy.” – Alex Stowell – Venice Paparazzi

“Venice Beach has some of the deepest skate history, but not always had a skate park. There are 40-plus years of skateboarding history in Venice, going all the way back to the Z-Boys. What many don’t know and often most [especially tourists] take for granted is that the park wasn’t built without a 20-year battle culminating in 2009 after a 10-month build. The dream was to give Dogtown the iconic park we all see today.” –  Skate Slate Magazine

“Made in Venice celebrates the hard work and countless hours that it takes to not just build a skatepark but to build a skate community.” –  SkateDaily.net

“Made in Venice will help others prepare for all the bs surrounding government projects. Thanks for making this.” – NYSkateboarding.com 

“Made In Venice is a step by step manifesto for skate/civic activism. It is a remarkable documentation of hard working visionary individuals transforming society.” – C.R. Stecyk III – Dogtown and Z-Boys author

“Go and see the Made In Venice movie. It’s got a great story and you’ll learn a lot about skateboarding. Support skateboarding worldwide.” – Jesse Martinez – skateboarding legend and street skating pioneer

“Venice is a place where respect is earned! Jesse Martinez epitomizes that statement. Made in Venice documents the lives of those who fight for their community and the cause to make a way for future generations of skateboarders. Fight for your dreams and they will become a reality!!!” – Christian Hosoi – professional skateboarder, legend

“Made in Venice is a must-see documentary. Skateparks are a vital part of the evolution of skateboarding culture, which has become a worldwide phenomenon.” – Jeff Ho – founder of the Z-Boys & Zephyr Shop (Dogtown and Z-Boys)

“Made In Venice tells you the history of Venice skating. I dug the movie. It had a lot of really cool history that I didn’t know before. I knew Jesse, but I didn’t know all the history that went down in the ‘80s in Venice. I used to watch those guys skate at the Pavilion. There was a lot more going on that was in the movie that I didn’t know that was cool. I was stoked to see all that.” – Wes Humpston – Dogtown skate art icon

“You should go see this movie if you’re trying to get a skatepark built in your town because it shows what a community can do when they really get together and work towards something they want that would also benefit the community as a whole, especially the kids. Isn’t that what it’s about?” – Eric “Tuma” Britton – skateboarding legend

“Going to see Made in Venice brings my generation of skaters full circle from the days when the Dogtown scene influenced us in the ’70’s! – Jim Murphy – Stronghold Society, Wounded Knee Skateboards

Made in Venice is an inspirational story for any skateboarder to never give up. People don’t understand what it takes to get a skatepark built and Made In Venice tells that story. – Dave Duncan – skate legend

“Being a ramp builder, I know the struggles of cutting through red tape to get a skatepark built. The Made in Venice movie was an amazing journey and I loved It.” – Eddie Reategui – skate legend and park builder

“An epic tale of what people will do for the love of skateboarding.” —  Lou Metal – Metal Skateboards

“This wonderful film tells the story of how the dream of a Venice Skatepark came to be a fantastic reality, and the struggle that went into it… It’s incredibly lump in the throat touching at times, and laugh out loud funny at others.” — CJ Gronner – Blogtown


Juice Magazine “Made In Venice” Hero Spotlights:

Jesse Martinez asked us to help get the word out about the “Made In Venice” movie, so we will be bringing you some behind the scenes stories of the Venice icons of skateboarding with this feature called “Made In Venice” Hero Spotlights.


Juice Magazine “Made In Venice” Hero Spotlight: Ger-I Lewis and Dennis “Polar Bear” Agnew

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Ger-I Lewis and Dennis “Polar Bear” Agnew (R.I.P.) at the Venice Beach Surf-A-Thon 2003. (Photo by Dan Levy – Juice Magazine)

GER-I LEWIS is a champion of the Venice Skatepark and founder of the Venice Surf-A-Thon. Ger-I Lewis voluntarily led the charge, along with Jesse Martinez and the Venice Surf & Skate Association, to get a 16,000 square foot world class skatepark built in Venice Beach. Not only did Ger-I spearhead the fight for the Venice Skatepark, he has also spent over two decades running the Venice Surf-A-Thon, to promote surfing on the Westside. Ger-I has spent a lifetime giving back to the surf and skate community and without Ger-I Lewis the Venice Skatepark would have never become a reality.

DENNIS “POLAR BEAR” AGNEW (R.I.P.) – Regarded around Venice as one of the most influential skater/surfers of his time, Polar Bear was not only a powerhouse on his board, he was an inspiration off as well. Although he has left this world, Polar Bear will live forever through the hearts and minds of all that knew him. To many locals, the Venice skatepark is known as the Dennis “Polar Bear” Agnew Memorial Skatepark in honor of his legacy. What Polar Bear started back in the day at Marina Del Rey Skatepark with his aggressive style of skateboarding, continues today in the next generation of skateboarders in Venice.


Juice Magazine “Made In Venice” Hero Spotlight: Jesse Martinez and Stacy Peralta

Flashback from Juice TV archives: Jesse Martinez & Stacy Peralta at the Venice Skatepark pre-grand opening day in August 2009. Video by Dan Levy – Juice Magazine. (Video by Dan Levy – Juice Magazine)

JESSE MARTINEZ has contributed much skin, blood & tradition to skateboarding. If you ride a skateboard, you’re part of his family. After a lifetime of holding it down in Dogtown, and spending decades in the fight for a skatepark in Venice, this skateboarding legend still remains the strongest soldier in our community as he cleans and maintains the Venice Skatepark daily and sets the bar for dedication and service to the skate life.

STACY PERALTA – One of the most talented skateboarders ever to ride, Stacy also has a passion for making films. His timing could not have been better in the late ‘70s, to connect with George Powell and hone his talents in a whole new dimension. His vision to form a dream team in skateboarding, the Bones Brigade, which included Jesse Martinez, and to film movies with them was innovative and pioneering at the same time. With his experience from traveling the world and his ability to recognize, develop and push talent, he was able to launch skateboarding into living rooms around the world. Still skating today, he continues to passionately document and support skateboarding…


Juice Magazine “Made In Venice” Hero Spotlight: Jamie Quaintance

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Never one to follow rules, Jamie Quaintance floats over and out of the Venice Skatepark with a smooth backside 180 in the morning hours. (Photo by Dan Levy – Juice Magazine)

Jimmy Q was made in Venice and has spent his lifetime representing the neighborhood. When the Venice skatepark was completed, Jamie was an immediate local hero and has since become an internationally acclaimed model and brand ambassador for high end luxury companies and designers who constantly keep him busy. His real name is James Quaintance III. In Venice, we know him as Jamie. He’s the son of legendary Venice skater/surfer, Jimbo Quaintance, who has been holding it down strong on the Westside for decades and ran hard with Jay Adams and the Z-Boys in the ‘80s. In fact, Jay Adams was Jamie’s godfather. The neighborhood heavies all pitched in to bring Jamie up proper, with mentors like Chuck Katz and the Venice Originals crew showing him the way. Jimmy Q has been surfing and skating Venice since birth and in between photo shoots and acting gigs, you can find him every Monday slinging ink at the Old Glory Barber Shop & Tattoo with Foster and the homies. He’s walked the biggest runways and graced the pages of the world’s top mags and has never forgotten for one second where he’s from. If you’re lucky, you could get a glimpse of him ripping the Venice Skatepark with Dogtown style like no other…


Juice Magazine “Made In Venice” Hero Spotlight: Leandre Sanders

Leandre Sanders is one of the smoothest operators on the daily at the Venice Beach Skatepark. Here he goes up and out in a way that very few in the world would even think to do. (Video by Dan Levy – Juice Magazine)


Juice Magazine “Made In Venice” Hero Spotlight: Jay Adams Memorial Skate Session

Skateboarding in Venice is built on tradition. It’s a common ground and a sacred communication machine. This day, in true Venice custom, tribute was paid to OG Z-Boy, Jay Adams, (R.I.P) with an all out attack on the coping at the Venice Skatepark. Every generation of skateboarder was represented in the session and gave 100% in honor of J-Boy. Featured in this clip: Christian Hosoi, Seven Adams, Bennet Harada, Shane Borland, Haden McKenna, Dave Duncan, Riley Stevens, Eric Dressen, Eddie Reategui, Eric “Tuma” Britton, Sean Johnson and Tony Alva. (Filming by Dan Levy and Alicia Gilmour –  Juice Magazine) The Venice Skatepark is a gathering place for the surf/skate tribe and a beacon to the world that skateboarding in our culture remains strong.


Juice Magazine “Made In Venice” Hero Spotlight: Desmond Shepherd

Desmond Shepherd pulled his first 540 at the Venice Skatepark at age 10. Dez is one of the super talented groms that grew up at the Venice Skatepark and carries on the tradition of those that paved the way before him. O.G. Z-Boy, Tony Alva spotted Desmond’s surf/skate style early on and added him to the legendary Alva Skates team. Style is everything and Desmond has it. Desmond loves the Venice Skatepark as he explained to Jeff Ho in an interview for Juice Magazine, “The Venice skatepark is so nice. I like the snake run. There are a lot of hips in the snake run. I did my first airs in the small bowl at Venice. I wake up in the morning and I try to go to Venice super early in the morning when no one is there at like six o’clock. You can practice a lot then.” (Filming by Dan Levy. Courtesy of Juice Magazine)


Juice Magazine “Made In Venice” Hero Spotlight: Venice Skatepark Clean Up Crew

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Venice Skatepark Clean Up Crew. (Photo by Dan Levy – Juice Magazine)

The fight for the Venice Skatepark took decades to win, however the fight to keep the Venice Skatepark clean is a daily battle that continues into the future, led by Jesse Martinez, with the support of an army of local skateboarders and the Venice community. Here are just a few of the guys that pour blood, sweat and brawn into keeping the Venice Skatepark in good shape for everyone to enjoy. We all owe these crews of volunteers a huge debt of gratitude. Please tell your local city official that the City of Los Angeles should give Jesse Martinez the official job of cleaning the park as he has been doing for FREE since 2009.


Juice Magazine “Made In Venice” Hero Spotlight: Jesus Esteban Correa

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Jesus Esteban Correa at the Snake Run at Venice Skatepark. (Photo by Dan Levy – Juice Magazine)

Jesus Esteban Correa came to Venice from Puerto Rico with the shoes on his feet, his skateboard and the heart of a lion. He has become one of the most celebrated and respected skateboarders living on the Westside. He is also the featured skater on the “Made In Venice” poster and we are proud to have him in the 90291.


Juice Magazine “Made In Venice” Hero Spotlight: Eric “Tuma” Britton

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Eric “Tuma” Britton (Photo by Dan Levy – Juice Magazine)

Before the decks of the big bowl were poured, the transition of the pool had to be test ridden and Tuma threw down a frontside invert with full Venice aggro style and grace. You can now find Tuma teaching the next generation of rippers in Venice and beyond with his contagious positive attitude and love for skateboarding on the daily with his company Roll Model Skateboarding.


Juice Magazine “Made In Venice” Hero Spotlight: Grom Session at Makaha Bowl Jam 2014

When groms attack the snake run, nothing can stop the chaos. Kiko Francisco and Asher Bradshaw lead the charge at the Makaha Bowl Jam 2014. (Video by Dan Levy – Juice Magazine)


Juice Magazine “Made In Venice” Hero Spotlight: Jesus Esteban Correa, Charlie Blair, Leandre Sanders at the Makaha Bowl Jam 2013

One of the best things about a contest in Venice is you get the whole park to yourself for a few runs. Jesus Esteban Correa, Leandre Sanders and Charlie Blair took full advantage of this opportunity and put on a show for all in attendance at the Makaha Bowl Jam 2013. (Video by Dan Levy – Juice Magazine)


Juice Magazine “Made In Venice” Hero Spotlight: Fight for Skatepark in Asbury Park, NJ

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Venice Beach skate documentary “Made In Venice” to be shown at Asbury Park skate fundraiser in New Jersey on July 23rd… The Asbury Park Skateboard Foundation presents their first event of the summer at the Carousel Building on the Asbury Park Boardwalk in New Jersey on July 23rd. Meet Mike Vallely and Kristian Svitak from 4pm- 6pm as they pass through on the  @streetplantbrnd “Open Hearted Tour”. At sundown, the Asbury Park Film Initiative will be screening “Made In Venice”, the Venice Skatepark Documentary. Both events are free and open to all ages.  #SkateAsbury.  The Skate Asbury Foundation was founded in the spring of 2015 by a group of skateboarders committed to bringing a skatepark to the city of Asbury Park, NJ. Learn more about the fight for a skatepark in Asbury Park by following @skateasbury on Instagram. Read more about the July 23rd Skatepark fundraiser in a story by GrindTV @grindtv by clicking on the link in the @skateasbury Instagram bio. For more about the story of the Venice Skatepark, stay tuned for “Made In Venice” the movie, coming to theaters this summer. “Made In Venice” the movie is the inside story of the street-wise skateboarders of Venice, California, and the struggle to make the dream of a skatepark come true.  #skatepark #skate #venice  #veniceskatepark #madeinvenicemovie #westside #skatepark  #venice #shralpin #skatelife #abramorama  Follow @madeinvenicemovie on Instagram for updates on movie premiere dates and locations.


Juice Magazine “Made In Venice” Hero Spotlight: Scott Oster

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Scott Oster – Opening Day of the Venice Skatepark. (Photo by Dan Levy – Juice Magazine)

Scott Oster has 100% surf/skate style with his amazing ability to snap at the coping, tweaking and twisting his body in a way that is simply artful. Oster has traveled the world in the name of skateboarding and his influence is still being felt through generations of skaters. He has the best G-turn in the history of skating hands-down. Skateboarding history in Venice runs deep as Oster explained in an interview for Juice Magazine, “Venice was a mecca of innovation and progression of skateboarding. It started on the walls of the Pavilion, the ramps and the flat ground. We were the next generation to resurrect Dogtown. We were bringing that same style and attitude. When we would skate, the aggression would definitely come out. Any time we went to skate a pool, it was about taking over and grinding harder and slashing harder than anyone else. It was just pushing the limits.” – Here is Oster leaving his mark on the coping on opening day of the Venice Skatepark, October 3, 2009.


Stay tuned for more Made In Venice Hero Spotlight brought to you by Juice Magazine.


Learn more about the “Made In Venice” movie at www.madeinvenicemovie.com. A portion of the proceeds from the sales of movie merchandise including hats, posters and t-shirts, will go to benefit the ongoing maintenance of the Venice Skatepark.


PRESS RELEASE:

Made In Venice

Documentary Tells True Story Of Skate Community’s 20-Year Battle
Through Voices of Its Visionaries


Los Angeles, CA (August 17, 2016) Made In Venice, a documentary, directed and produced by Jonathan Penson, featuring the inside story of the skateboarders of Venice, California, and their struggle to make the dream of a skatepark come true, will be released nationwide on August 25, 2016, via Abramorama.

The feature-length documentary carries the viewer through the history of Venice to present day, as it tells the story of the decades it took a relentless crew of skateboarders, surfers and civic activists to convince the City of Los Angeles to build a skatepark in the area that gave birth to modern skateboarding.

Made In Venice is not just a skate movie. It’s a tale of audacity, guts and hope filled with counterculture characters that overcame all obstacles to claim victory for the masses. Anyone that has fought for what they want can identify with this film. This is the story of visionaries that refused to give up the goal to build concrete terrain for future generations.

The film captures the firsthand stories and recollections of 40-plus years of skateboarding in Venice that started with the Z-Boys, and continued with its legendary street skaters and the iconic Venice Skatepark. Never-before-seen Super-8 and early video footage, along with rare black and white stills, take you back to innovative demos on the Boardwalk and skating the walls of the Pavilion, as the Venice skaters pushed the boundaries of street skating and put it on the global map.

Made In Venice features appearances by skateboarding legends, professionals, heroes, skatepark activists and skate icons:  Jesse Martinez, Geri Lewis, Christian Hosoi, C.R. Stecyk III, Skip Engblom, Jay Adams, Jeff Ho, Aaron Murray, Scott Oster, Cesario “Block” Montano, Jim Muir, Tim Jackson, Ray Flores, Eddie Reategui, Eric Britton, Dave Duncan, David Hackett, Joey Tran, Pat Ngoho, Wally Hollyday, Jimbo Quaintance, Joff Drinkwater, Nathan Pratt, Solo Scott, Jamie Quaintance, Asher Bradshaw, Kiko Francisco, Bart Saric, Heidi Lemmon, Anthony “Tonan” Ruiz, Lance Lemond, Susanne Melanie Berry, Jereme Schadler, Dennis Ogden, Steve Mayorga, Julien Martinez, Victor Blue, Steve “Primo” Primeau, Mary Prideaux, Lauren Seagrave, Katie Sullivan, Adam Hamilton, Karington Smith, Mike Sherrod, Pauline Bronon, Mario Narango and Zack Wormhoudt.

Made In Venice will be showing Aug 25-Sept 1 at the Laemmle Monica in Santa Monica, California. Following its Los Angeles openings, the film will roll out in theaters across the country, including skateboarding hotspots such as Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Denver, New York City and more.

MADE IN VENICE MOVIE:  Screening Dates and Locations
8/25 – Laemmle Monica – Santa Monica, CA – 7:30PM
8/26 – Laemmle Monica – Santa Monica, CA – 9:55PM
8/27 – Laemmle Monica – Santa Monica, CA – 10:00AM
8/27 – Laemmle Monica – Santa Monica, CA – 9:55PM
8/28 – Laemmle Monica – Santa Monica, CA – 10:00AM
8/28 – Laemmle Monica – Santa Monica, CA – 7:30PM
8/29 – Laemmle Monica – Santa Monica, CA – 9:55PM
8/30 – Laemmle Monica – Santa Monica, CA – 9:55PM
8/30 – Laemmle Playhouse 7 – Pasadena, CA – 7:30PM
8/31 – Laemmle Monica – Santa Monica, CA – 9:55PM
8/31 – Laemmle NoHo 7 – North Hollywood, CA – 7:30PM
8/31 – Megaplex Gateway Theatre – Salt Lake City, UT – 7:00PM
8/31 – The Maple Theater & Kitchen, Detroit, MI – 7:00PM
9/1 – Laemmle Monica – Santa Monica, CA – 9:55PM
9/1 – NorthWest Film Forum – Seattle, WA – 8:00PM
9/5 – Gateway Film Center – Columbus, OH – 9:00PM
9/7 – SIE Film Center – Denver, CO – 7:30PM
9/8 – Krikorian Buena Park, Buena Park, CA – 7:30PM
9/8 – Kirkorian Downey Cinema 10, Downey, CA – 7:30PM
9/8 – Krikorian Monrovia Cinema 12 – Monrovia, CA – 7:30PM
9/8 – Krikorian Redlands Cinema – Redlands, CA – 7:30PM
9/8 – Krikorian San Clemente Cinema – San Clemente, CA – 7:30PM
9/11 – Hollywood Theatre – Portland, OR – 7:30PM

MADE IN VENICE SOCIAL MEDIA:
Facebook @Made In Venice – The Movie
Instagram @madeinvenicemovie
Twitter @madeinvenicedoc
Tumblr @madeinvenicemovie
Tag #madeinvenicemovie for all social media.

For more information and upcoming screening dates go to

www.madeinvenicemovie.com

What people are saying about Made In Venice!

“Made In Venice is a step by step manifesto for skate/civic activism. It is a remarkable documentation of hard working visionary individuals transforming society.” – C.R. Stecyk III – Dogtown Chronicles

“Go and see the Made In Venice movie. It’s got a great story and you’ll learn a lot about skateboarding. Support skateboarding worldwide.” – Jesse Martinez – street skating pioneer

“Venice is a place where respect is earned! Jesse Martinez epitomizes that statement. Made in Venice documents the lives of those who fight for their community and the cause to make a way for future generations of skateboarders. Fight for your dreams and they will become a reality!!! – Christian Hosoi – skate legend

“Through sheer perseverance, anything is possible.” – Jake Phelps – Thrasher Magazine

“Made in Venice is a must-see documentary. Skateparks are a vital part of the evolution of skateboarding culture, which has become a worldwide phenomenon.” – Jeff Ho – founder of Zephyr, Z-Boys

“You should go see this movie if you’re trying to get a skatepark built in your town because it shows what a community can do when they really get together and work towards something they want that would also benefit the community as a whole, especially the kids. Isn’t that what it’s about?” – Eric “Tuma” Britton

“Going to see Made in Venice brings my generation of skaters full circle from the days when the Dogtown scene influenced us in the ’70’s! – Jim Murphy – Stronghold Society, Wounded Knee Skateboards

Made in Venice is an inspirational story for any skateboarder to never give up. People don’t understand what it takes to get a skatepark built and Made In Venice tells that story. – Dave Duncan – skate legend

“Made In Venice tells you the history of Venice skating. I dug the movie. It had a lot of really cool history that I didn’t know before. I knew Jesse, but I didn’t know all the history that went down in the ‘80s in Venice. I used to watch those guys skate at the Pavilion. There was a lot more going on that was in the movie that I didn’t know that was cool. I was stoked to see all that.” Wes Humpston – Dogtown skate art icon

“Being a ramp builder, I know the struggles of cutting through red tape to get a skatepark built. The Made in Venice movie was an amazing journey and I loved it.” – Eddie Reategui – skate legend, park builder

Made in Venice – the movie – a must see! This film is an essential piece of history, acknowledging and paying tribute to the ground soldiers whose tireless efforts brought to fruition a skatepark on the sand that millions now enjoy.” – Alex Stowell – Venice Paparazzi

An epic tale of what people will do for the love of skateboarding.” – Lou Metal – Metal Skateboards

“Made in Venice celebrates the hard work and countless hours that it takes to not just build a skatepark but to build a skate community.” – Derek Rinaldi – SkateDaily.net

“Made in Venice will help others prepare for all the bs surrounding government projects. Thanks for making this.”NYSkateboarding.com

Made_In_Venice_T-Shirt_2

Wes Humpston Design Limited Edition T-Shirt For Made In Venice

Artist and Dogtown pioneer Wes Humpston designed a one of a kind t-shirt for the Made In Venice movie, which is available at www.madeinvenicemovie.com. All proceeds from the sales of the shirts go to the Venice Skatepark Foundation, the non-profit organization that Jesse Martinez is involved with that has been volunteering to keep the Venice Skatepark clean. Get a cool shirt and support a great cause at the same time.

ABOUT Made In Venice

Directed and Produced by Jonathan Penson

Executive Producers: Dianne E. Lerner

Written and Co-Produced by Diane Rozas

Creative Consultants: Kevin Hynes, Christian L. Rehr

Editors: Kenn Bartlett, Jonathan Penson

Co-Producers: Jesse Martinez, Joel Klug, Masao Miyashiro, Todd Gessel

Cinematography: Jonathan Penson, Ian Congdon

Production Company: Racing the Sun Pictures

TRT: 77 minutes

ABOUT ABRAMORAMA

Abramorama is an independent distribution and marketing company. An industry leader in the focused, personalized form of film distribution, Abramorama provides invaluable alternatives to filmmakers and content owners.  Coming off the successful releases of Laurie Anderson’s astonishing New York Times critics’ pick, HEART OF A DOG, and Dawn Porter’s Sundance Award-winner TRAPPED, Abramorama’s recent multiple-nominated and award-winning titles also include Showtime’s LISTEN TO ME MARLON (National Board of Review Winner) and Drafthouse’s THE LOOK OF SILENCE (2016 Documentary Academy Award® Nominee and 2015 IDA Best Documentary Winner).

Over the course of more than 20 years, Abramorama has successfully distributed and marketed hundreds of films, including Asif Kapadia’s SENNA, Robert Stone’s PANDORA’S PROMISE, Cameron Crowe’s PEARL JAM TWENTY, Sacha Gervasi’s ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL, Banksy’s Academy Award®-nominated, EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP, the surprise indie hit AWAKE: THE LIFE OF YOGANANDA, and the critically acclaimed documentaries PARTICLE FEVER and AN HONEST LIAR.

Abramorama continues to lead in event cinema distribution, with current titles including HAMLET starring Maxine Peake from Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre, Operas from La Scala, Roma, Fenice & Torino, and recent titles including the Royal Opera House Ballet and Opera Cinema Season, Green Day’s HEART LIKE A HAND GRENADE, Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein’s THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING, Charles Ferguson’s TIME TO CHOOSE, Barbara Kopple’s MISS SHARON JONES!, Luke Meyer’s BREAKING A MONSTER, and Ron Howard’s THE BEATLES: EIGHT DAYS A WEEK- THE TOURING YEARS.

For more information visit:  www.abramorama.com

ABOUT VENICE BEACH SKATEPARK

The Venice Skatepark is a 16,000 square foot oceanfront concrete skatepark featuring a world-renowned skate plaza with two bowls, a unique old school style snake run, designed by Jesse Martinez, and a street-inspired area with stairs, ledges & rails. It took over 20 years for this skatepark to come to fruition, and 10 months to build. It opened to the public on October 3, 2009. This iconic site attracts visitors from all over the world and it is estimated that approximately 30,000 people visit the Venice Beach Boardwalk on a daily basis. It is the second most-visited destination in Southern California, with an average of over ten million visitors per year.  It is known as one of the region’s most popular tourist attractions. Please do your part to keep it clean by donating to the Venice Skatepark Foundation.

For more information and to make donations, please visit: www.veniceskateparkfoundation.com

For more information and upcoming screening dates go to

www.madeinvenicemovie.com


 “Made In Venice” the movie features: Jesse Martinez, Todd “Ger-I Lewis” Gessel, Cesario “Block” Montano, Aaron Murray, Christian Hosoi, Craig Stecyk III, Skip Engblom, Jeff Ho, Jay Adams, Tim Jackson, Ray Flores, Jim Muir, Eric “Tuma” Britton, Jamie Quaintance, James “Jimbo” Quaintance, Solo Scott, Joff Drinkwater, Pat Ngoho, Eddie Reategui, Nathan Pratt, Dave Duncan, Dan Levy, Jereme “Stoney” Shadler, Bennett Harada, Julien Martinez, Steve “Primo” Primeau, Joe “Shmoe” Ayala, Victor Blue, Kiko Francisco, Anthony “Tonan” Ruiz, Bart Saric, Dennis Ogden, Scott Oster, Joey Tran, Wally Hollyday,  Lance Lemond, Mark Billik, Susanne Melanie Berry, Ruth Galanter, Lauren Seagrave, Heidi Lemmon, Katy Sullivan, Mike Bonin, Steve Mayorga, Mike Sherrod, Bill Rosendahl, Adam Hamilton, John Thomas, Zach Wormhoudt, Joe Connolly, Sgt Marc Reina, Asher Bradhaw, Pauline Bronon, Mario Narango, Mary Prideaux, Karington Smith and Dave Hackett… Surfing by Rick Massie… Featuring skateboarding by Tony Alva, Shane Borland, Chris Cudlip, Kien Lieu Donger, Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham, Connor Getzlaff, Mark Jones, Matt Lemond, Richard Massie, Gavin Obayashi, Papo, Adam Paul, Chris Rydgren, Bobby Rodriguez, Austin Seaholm, Kevin Stratil, Chris Swanson, Ennis Miller, Jereme “Stony” Shadler, Dave Duncan, Eric Dressen, Scott Oster, Christian Hosoi, George Wilson, Steve Hernandez, Mario Narango, Karington Smith, Pat Ngoho and many more skate heroes… Coming to theaters beginning August 25th.  http://madeinvenicemovie.com/

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