Children of the Revolution

"Two hundred years of American technology has unwittingly created a massive cement playground of unlimited potential. But it was the minds of 11 year olds that could see that potential." - C.R. Stecyk III

Dogtown & Z Boys trailer

Directed by an original z-boy, Stacy Peralta, the documentary Dogtown and Z-boys tells the true story of the legendary Z-boys. A group of surfer/skater kids that revolutionized the sport of skateboarding. With interviews from most of the original Zephyr team and those who influenced them and those who they influenced. 

The original team consisted of: Shogo Kubo, Bob Biniak, Nathan Pratt, Stacy Peralta, Jim Muir, Allen Sarlo, Chris Cahill, Tony Alva, Wentzle Ruml, Peggy Oki, Jay Adams and Paul Constantineau.

Some really good books about these boys are:

Dogtown - The Legend of the Z-boys by Glen E. Friedman

Jay Boy by Kent Sherwood

The Riot Hyatt

During the 60s and 70s the Continental Hyatt House was the preferred hotel for all musicians staying in Los Angeles. It was only a couple blocks up the strip from The Whiskey A Go Go, and The Rainbow Bar & Grill. It has become famous for the wild antics and parties that the musicians would have there.

Led Zeppelin would rent up to six floors every time they would come to stay. John Bonham was reported to have driven a motorcycle down the halls of the hotel.

Rock stars such as Keith Richards and Keith Moon, among others, were known for throwing tvs off the balconies.

It was a normal scene to see the band's baby groupies in the hotel's coffee shop, teetering around in their platform shoes and hot pants.

Jim Morrison lived there until he was reportedly evicted by management for hanging out a window by his fingertips, dangling over the pavement.

In the movie Almost Famous, the band stays at the Hyatt House. These scenes were actually filmed at the hotel, where they refurbished part of the hotel to have the exact same decor as it did in the 70s.

It has since become a high end hotel called the Andaz West Hollywood. Though it is nothing of what it used to be, we still have the stories and legends of this rock hotel.