The Tony Alva Story
When I was a kid, I used to see the Alva boards on the wall and thought the company was called ‘Awa’ because of the hand-written style of the name/graphic. Later on the guys at the shop informed me it was actually ‘Alva’, named after Tony Alva. This was a time when your surname could be the name of the company (the ’80s). There was also a poster up of the team and they all looked pretty intimidating to a 12-year-old kid from a suburban neighbourhood…
As I grew older I learned a bit more about Tony Alva and how much of a skateboard pioneer he was, but this was mostly through talking with older skaters… Now, for your viewing pleasure, there’s a documentary about Tony made by the guys at Six Stair: Coan “Buddy” Nichols and Rick Charnoski. Supported by Vans, it’s quite enlightening and a good watch… Just wish this was around when I was a kid!
On a somber note, the release of this very special Loveletter to Tony Alva is bittersweet in light of the recent passing of beloved Vans family skate patriarch, Jeff Grosso. Jeff and the Six Stair team worked tirelessly on this film for years. Grosso’s love for Alva was immense as detailed in the emotional final scene of The Tony Alva Story. I won’t give it way, but tuck in and have a watch…
