Sean Cliver’s The Disposable Skateboard Bible stands as one of the most iconic documents in skateboarding history. More than just a collection of decks, it’s a deep, full-color dive into the visual and cultural evolution of skateboarding from the 1960s through the 2000s. This hardback masterpiece spans over 360 pages and catalogs hundreds of skateboard graphics in vivid detail.
But the Bible isn’t just about the boards. It’s a tribute to the culture that grew around them. Cliver peppers the pages with insider stories, personal anecdotes, and interviews with legends like Tony Hawk, Stacy Peralta, Mark Gonzales, and Mark “Gator” Rogowski. These narratives turn a graphic archive into a living timeline of skateboarding’s rebellious, creative, and sometimes chaotic journey.
Sean Cliver: From Ragdolls to Reference Books
Sean Cliver’s legacy in skateboarding began in 1989 when he joined Powell-Peralta as a staff artist. Almost instantly, he left his mark with iconic designs like Ray Barbee’s “Ragdoll” and the Screaming Chicken. After his time at Powell, he went on to co-create Big Brother magazine, a chaotic, hilarious, and sometimes controversial skate publication that paved the way for the MTV generation of skaters and the birth of Jackass. Cliver wasn’t just an illustrator—he became one of the few storytellers who could blend design, skate history, and punk satire in equal measure.
Years later, after collecting thousands of decks and stories, Cliver published his first book, Disposable: A History of Skateboard Art. That was just the beginning. He followed it up with The Disposable Skateboard Bible, an expanded and even deeper chronicle of skate art and skate life, co-shot with Eric “Mouse” Simpson. With it, Cliver solidified himself not just as a graphic artist, but as skateboarding’s unofficial historian of the visual underground.
Why CalStreets Plays a Major Role in the Bible
One of the more surprising highlights of The Disposable Skateboard Bible is how often CalStreets shows up in the shop reference photography. And there’s a good reason for it.
Back in the late 2000s, while deep in the research process, Cliver discovered the CalStreets website. What caught his attention wasn’t just the product lineup—it was the historic photo archive. Rick Tetz, the founder of CalStreets, had quietly been preserving a treasure trove of images from the shop’s original location on Lonsdale Avenue in North Vancouver. The photos showed an era that most shops had forgotten: entire board walls from the 1980s, display setups with original Independent, Alva, and Santa Cruz gear, and the unmistakable vibe of an era when skateboarding was still considered underground.
Sean reached out to Rick, and the two quickly connected over their shared love of skate history. Rick opened his photo vault, and what Cliver found was pure gold: high-res, authentic images of what a real 80s skate shop looked like. These weren’t staged showroom setups or brand campaigns—they were gritty, real-life snapshots of skateboarding’s retail roots. Many of these images ended up featured in The Disposable Skateboard Bible, giving the book not just visual depth but cultural credibility. To this day, CalStreets remains one of the few shops in the world whose physical presence became part of the visual archive in Cliver’s work.
The Legacy of CalStreets: A Skateshop That Helped Shape History
Founded in 1978, CalStreets began as a mail-order business before transforming into one of Canada’s first dedicated skate shops. Located on Lonsdale in North Van, the shop quickly earned a reputation for bringing in hard-to-find gear from California—hence the name “California Streets.” Rick Tetz was one of the early Canadian pioneers in recognizing skateboarding as not just a hobby, but a full-blown culture. His shop became a hotspot for the local scene, a distributor of brands like Alva, Tracker, and Powell, and a haven for anyone obsessed with graphics, gear, and progression.
But what set CalStreets apart wasn’t just the gear—it was the aesthetic. The shop’s board walls were legendary. Dozens of decks displayed side-by-side, floor to ceiling, in that classic ‘80s rainbow of skulls, snakes, and flaming logos. Customers remember those walls as a rite of passage: the place you went to stare at a Caballero Dragon in person, or argue over which Vision graphic was best. That visual identity became part of skateboarding’s cultural DNA.
Preserving Skateboarding’s Soul
The collaboration between Sean Cliver and CalStreets is a reminder that skateboarding is not just tricks and trends—it’s stories, visuals, and the people who keep the torch lit. The Disposable Skateboard Bible isn’t just about what boards existed, it’s about where they lived: in the shops, on the streets, and in the hands of kids who saw them as more than wood and ink. Through Cliver’s lens and Rick Tetz’s archive, a little piece of North Vancouver became part of skateboarding’s global legacy. If you’ve ever walked into CalStreets and stared at a deck like it belonged in a museum, you were right. And now, thanks to The Disposable Skateboard Bible, that feeling lives on in print. Grab your Copy HERE today!
