BACK TO YOUR FUTURE Chap: 8
As this is the SkateGeezer Manifesto, it’s essential at this stage of the book to reiterate one key point: don’t stop skateboarding. If an injury prevents you, I get it. But longevity and quality of life work hand in hand. Skaters under 21 (aka NOT SkateGeezers) will go out and try pretty much everything. The under-21 cohort represents 75% (or more) of skateboarding’s demographic.
It’s better to be rolling around and enjoying skateboarding (on any type of skateboard) than not moving. This manifesto is both a celebration of those who continue to skate and a call to action for those who left or never tried.
They say you can never go back. We all recognize that specific actions have lasting consequences that cannot be undone. We all have regrets. Ruminating about the path not taken can be insightful, but more often than not, it can lead to sadness and even depression. If you’ve quit skateboarding, the best time to have rejoined would have been yesterday. But right now is a damn good time. Tomorrow, you just never know.
In the previous chapter, I discussed the first two Powell Peralta skate videos and their impact on turning on a new generation of skateboarders. I also briefly mentioned the skate chase sequence in the film “Back to The Future.”
For those of you who have yet to watch this film, the core idea is a person who, using a special technology, can travel back in time to fix a problem that has occurred. It also examines the concept of trying to prevent a negative future from happening. “Back to the Future” is both entertaining and fascinating because it examines how one small action can change the trajectory of someone’s life. The film also touches on personal responsibility and control over one’s destiny. The journey back in time can be seen as a way to confront and overcome personal issues or make choices that lead to a better future. The film encourages people to consider their decisions’ potential consequences and learn from past mistakes.
The Crucial Link – Per Welinder
As a SkateGeezer, I find it curious that one skater is connected to both projects. His name is Per Welinder, and he was born in Sweden in 1962. I had the privilege of meeting Per over 25 years ago. I wanted to get his take on a few critical moments in his life, so I sent him some questions to answer for this chapter. I am grateful for him taking the time to revisit the past.
In 1980 Per decided to come to the USA for a freestyle contest. Per recalled, “There were four of us—wide-eyed Swedes—travelling to California: Per Holknekt, Stefan Spang, Hans “Hazze” Lindgren, and me. We were as cocky as could be. I had just come off a win at the European Freestyle Championship and was pretty confident I’d do well. Placing 5th in the amateur division was humbling, to say the least, and it became the driving force behind my decision to stay in California at all costs. I wanted the chance to practice with the best—people like Steve Rocco and Rodney Mullen—rather than return to Sweden, where fall was setting in, and a long, snowy winter loomed. That weather wasn’t ideal for riding my board every day.”
Powered to improve, Per chose to stay in California and keep practicing. He met up with several skaters, including Bob Schmelzer. Bob and Per would go to the Venice Beach boardwalk and perform. But as Per explained, there was a bit of history behind this decision.
“Freestyle skateboarding was always done to music, and I’ve loved music since my early teens. Back then, I had the chance to work at the college radio station WXCI, where we were exposed to all kinds of new artists the record labels were trying to break—so music quickly became a big part of my life. Now, Bob was into music on an even deeper level. He was a DJ who spun everything from Dead Kennedys to Afrika Bambaataa at various parties throughout the ’80s. So, skating at Venice Beach to music was a natural progression for us. And, of course, we were also trying to find a way to make a little money. We’d skate there pretty much every other weekend for quite a few years. If you’ve ever been to Venice, you know it’s packed with all kinds of street performers—jugglers, breakdancers, musicians—and we just added skateboarding to that mix. One day, instead of finding cash in our little tip hat, we found a business card. It simply said: “Call me.” The name on the card? Bob Gale.”
It turned out that Bob Gale was the writer and producer of the film “Back to The Future.”
Per told me that Hollywood was completely new to him. “I hadn’t heard of Bob Gale before, but we figured—why not follow up? One thing led to another, and we ended up auditioning for the stunt coordinator, Walter Scott. He was a tall, pretty intimidating guy who was a legendary stuntman himself. Earlier in his career, he had even doubled for John Wayne. Walter brought us on board and landed us the gig as the skateboard stunt doubles for the movie.”
At first, when Per and Bob Schmelzer worked with Walter to develop the stunts, the plan was to film on location in Northern California. “The stunts Walter wanted us to do were pretty intense; the skateboard chase scene involved trains!” Per recalled being nervous about whether they could actually pull them off. But then the plans got scrapped, and the skateboard scenes were moved to the Universal Studios lot. “This made us feel a bit more comfortable with what was being asked of us.”
Per explained that he and Bob had never been in a movie before. “We really didn’t know what to expect. But we were told we were lucky to work with such a top-tier crew—backed by Steven Spielberg—and surrounded by incredibly talented people. Overall, it was an amazing experience.”
The two were on set for about two weeks. As with most movie shoots, there was a lot of “hurry up and wait,” especially stunt doubles. “During lunch breaks, Bob and I would pull out our freestyle boards and start jamming in front of the crew—that was something special.”
Originally, the film cast Eric Stolz as the lead character, Marty McFly. Bob performed all the skateboard stunts. However, things were not going well with the film, and the director and producer wound up replacing Stolz with Michael J. Fox. This meant they had to reshoot 5 weeks of filming. Per is roughly the same height as Michael, so he took over as the stunt double.
Per explained that he couldn’t attend the premiere because he was visiting his family in Sweden. About four weeks later, when he returned to the U.S., he saw the film at the famous Westwood Village Theater. “Right after the skateboard chase scene—when the bad guys crash into the manure truck, and Marty escapes with that smile—the entire theatre burst into applause. That’s when I knew: This movie is going to be BIG—very big.”
A Mighty Big Future
“Back to The Future” cost around $19 million to make and wound up grossing almost $400 million. It also gave skateboarding a considerable boost.
Even the film’s sequels featured skateboarding – people are STILL trying to make a working hoverboard. It’s tough to say just how influential those 3 ½ minutes of the skateboard chase scene are, but I’m sure a few billion folks have seen them.
For this chapter, I’d like to break down Per’s decision from the beginning to the end five years later. Step into a time machine and travel back to 1980. Pretend you are 18 and living outside the USA. The first decision you are confronted with is your passion for skateboarding. There’s a huge skate contest that you need to be at. You’ll have to travel over 5,300 miles from Europe to California. How easy will it be to find funds, convince your parents, and navigate housing and transportation?
How do you feel once you’ve finished the contest and got 5th place – not the first you thought would be yours? Do you stay in California and continue to practice, or do you return home and go to university? If you decide to stay in the USA, how do you find work shelter and still find time to practice? Who do you hang out with? If you do find a fellow skater, where do you go to make some money and show off your skills?
I could go on and on, but you get the point. There are numerous times in Per’s journey when he made decisions that, in hindsight, look incredibly prescient. There is a mixture of “What ifs” coupled with numerous butterfly effects that would make a great film. However, what I take away from Per’s story is that he kept skating despite some challenging obstacles. It was the act of skateboarding that propelled him through the challenges.
2025 marks the 40th anniversary of “Back to The Future.” At this point in my life, I have a son in his mid-twenties who has been skating since he was a toddler. He loves street skating but can rip in a skatepark and charge down a hill. Ironically, he’s never seen “Back to The Future.” However, that changes today. We’re both headed out to skate and watch the film, and I definitely see nachos and salsa in our future!
I will leave the last word to Per: “Countless skaters have shared with me over the years that “Back to The Future” was one of the main reasons they got into skateboarding. That still warms my heart to this day
