Synopsis

In 1970s Venice, California, a group of teenage surfers from the Zephyr shop transforms skateboarding with an aggressive, wave-inspired style. As the Z-Boys gain fame through competitions, magazine coverage, and television appearances, friendship gives way to rivalry and commercial pressure. The story follows their rapid rise, personal struggles, and lasting influence on skateboarding and youth culture.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film is based on the real-life Zephyr Skate Team, whose members helped introduce surfing techniques and a low, aggressive style to skateboarding.

• Stacy Peralta wrote the screenplay. His documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys, released in 2001, served as the inspiration for the feature film.

• The real Stacy Peralta appears during the sequence in which the Z-Boys begin attracting national attention. Tony Alva, Jay Adams, and Skip Engblom also make cameo appearances.

• Heath Ledger wore some of the real Skip Engblom's old clothes while preparing for the role.

• Parts of the abandoned pier seen in the film were created with computer-generated imagery. The derelict Ferris wheel, however, was a real prop purchased for the production.

• Emile Hirsch spent time with Jay Adams in Hawaii while preparing to portray the skater.

• Although the story is set around Venice Beach, some production work and exterior material were filmed in Imperial Beach, California.

• The soundtrack draws heavily on late-1960s and 1970s rock, with music associated with artists including David Bowie, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, Iggy Pop, Neil Young, and T. Rex.

• The film was released theatrically in the United States on June 3, 2005, through both Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures.