When 411 Video Magazine released its fifth VHS tape, skateboarding had just cracked the mainstream in a post-Nintendo world of baggy jeans and tiny wheels. Issue 5 captured that moment in real time, packaging demos, road-trip chaos, and park sessions into a single hour that kids could rewind until the ribbon stretched thin. More than a highlight reel, the tape was a monthly news report for anyone outside the California bubble.
Inside the Tape
| Section | Stand-out Footage | Track (Soundtrack) |
|---|---|---|
| Openers | Mike Frazier’s fakie stalefish over a spine | Extra Prolific – Brown Sugar |
| Switchstance | Colin McKay landing switch shove-it back lips | Gang Starr – Code of the Streets |
| Planet Earth Industry | Ed Templeton nose-slide fakie on a picnic table | De La Soul – Ego Trippin (Instrumental) |
| Metrospective: San Jose | Jerry Fowler and the FTC crew on granite ledges | Raised by Suess – One More Week Until Supper |
| Road Trip: Australia | Tas Pappas boosting huge frontside airs over Bondi Bowl | The Specials – Gangsters |
| Private Property | NHS Cannery session with Willy Santos & Jeff Taylor | Pantera – Throes of Rejection |
Host: Lance Mountain keeps things moving with deadpan jokes and spot maps scribbled on a napkin.
Total running time: 55 min.
Skaters Who Made the Cut
Colin McKay, Ed Templeton, Tas Pappas, Reese Forbes, Mike Frazier, Jerry Fowler, Pat Channita, Gino Perez, Max Schaaf—more than two dozen names flash by the credits. Some were rising amateurs (Wheels of Fortune), others seasoned pros hungry for magazine covers, but they all shared one thing: this tape was their fastest route to a global audience before social media existed.
The DIY Newsstand of Skate Videos
411VM arrived every other month, almost like a printed skate magazine you watched instead of read. Each issue followed a predictable structure—Openers, Chaos, Switchstance, Industry, Road Trip—yet the spots, tricks, and sponsors changed so quickly that every tape felt fresh. Skaters mailed footage on Hi-8 tapes; editors spliced it into themed sections; shops received boxes by UPS. Within days, copies traded hands at backyard ramps from Tampa to Toulouse.
Rewatch the Full Tape
Scroll the YouTube comments and you’ll find stories of teenagers dubbing copies, memorizing the soundtrack, and hunting down every shoe worn in the clips.
Easter Eggs to Spot
- Chocolate’s first video ad: a candy-wrapper graphic that later became a board series.
- Neil Blender cameo: a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it crowd shot during the San Jose montage.
- Early Ed Templeton rail combo: rarely seen outside Toy Machine releases.
- Prototype Spitfire wheels: filmed months before they hit shops nationwide.
Quick Tips if You Still Own the VHS
- Keep the cardboard sleeve—collectors value original artwork almost as much as footage.
- Store tapes upright in a cool, dry place to slow magnetic decay.
- Rewind fully before each play; it keeps tension even across spools.
- Digitize with a USB capture device at 720×480 for the closest match to CRT quality.
Soundtrack:
Hungry for more ’90s deep-cuts?
Rewind to the very first cassette with 411 Video Magazine Issue 1, grab the remote for Channel Surf Through ’90s Daytime TV, shout “New York City?!” at 10 Pace Picante Commercials, and see which Popular ’90s Things That Disappeared.
