Levis Skateboarding proudly presents : “Skateboarding in Pine Ridge”, a documentary directed by Greg Hunt chronicling the skatepark builds in the towns of Pine Ridge and Manderson, which are located on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota. Pine Ridge is largely reported in the media as an impoverished community with a drug and alcohol epidemic and teen suicide rates seven to ten times greater than the national average. When the Levi’s crew visited the reservation, they saw a community transformed. They found a generation inspired – a group of people championing each other through their collective actions.

“You hear a lot of professional skateboarders saying that skateboarding saves lives. You literally see that happening out here on the Pine Ridge Rez.” – Walt Pourier (Stronghold Society)

“You build a world class skatepark in an isolated area, the skaters there will literally feel more connected to the outside world than if you built them something low quality.” – Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam & Vitalogy Foundation)

“In 1998, after Andy Kessler and I founded Wounded Knee Skateboards, our vision was to some day build skateparks on the Pine Ridge Reservation for the Lakota youth in memory of the Lakota who died in the Massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890. Thanks to Levi’s Skateboarding, Jeff Ament, and Grindline, this vision has come true! On behalf of Wounded Knee Skateboards, we would like to thank the following people who came together and made this happen! LEVI’S Skateboarding, Imprint Projects, Farm League, Stronghold Society, Jeff Ament, MPS and Vitalogy Foundation, Monk, Little Eddie and Grindline Skateparks, Indy Trucks, Bones Wheels, Bryce Kanights, Triple Eight Helmets, BC Surf and Sport, Jonathan Mehring, Square State Skate, Satellite Board Shop, Garfield Steele, Wounded Knee District School, Alice Phelps, Stacy Phelps, Conscious Alliance, Larry Pourier, Rob Lawrence, Pine Ridge Batch Plant, Oglala Lakota Country and our Lakota Skate culture youth!!!!” – Jim “Murf” Murphy (Wounded Knee Skateboards & Stronghold Society)

About the Levi’s “Skateboarding in Pine Ridge” Documentary…

Levi’s joined the Stronghold Society and Grindline Skate Parks and went to Pine Ridge, South Dakota to finish one skate park and build another in the neighboring town of Manderson. Joey Pepper, Josh Matthews, Marius Syvanen, and Pat Moran came to hang out with the kids of Pine Ridge and skate the new parks. This project is a part of an ongoing effort to support skateboarding in under served communities around the world.

Directed by Greg Hunt

Original Score by David Pajo

Additional Track by Cat Power

Wounded Knee Skateboards is proud to release the Montana Pool Service board available in both a square and round tail models. The Montana Pool Service is a group of Montana skaters that are pushing to build skateparks in every small town. They were instrumental in the creation of the first Wounded Knee Four Directions Skatepark. Proceeds from this board go to providing youth on the reservations with skateboards.  Order now!

Back in 1998, Andy Kessler and I were trying to come up with a name for a hardcore skate company. When Andy said,”what about Wounded Knee?” We both realized that would be heavy, and we also felt that this would be a great opportunity to educate people about true native history thru our skateboard graphics and informative inserts. We had a vision of someday giving back to the Lakota nation, in memory of those who died in the wounded knee massacre of 1890, a series of skateparks on the pine ridge rez for the Lakota youth. We knew this could enliven a cultural youth movement on the rez thru the arts, film, photography and music that skateboarding got us both swept into in the 1970s,and now this vision of ours is coming true. We will be building our 1st Concrete Wounded Knee four directions skatepark in pine ridge this summer with the financial support of Jeff Ament and Pearl jam, the Tony Hawk Foundation and Steve VanDoren from vans. Though Kessler is gone to the next level, his spirit and vision still lives in this project and all future projects involving the Wounded Knee Four Directions Skatepark Program, which is a program of The Stronhold Society, a 501c3 non profit organization. The profits from his board sales will help us get boards to kids so they can skate these parks on the rez, and also to support contests and art projects that will surround the skatepark scene! As long as I’m alive, this Kess shape will always be in the line up, with new inspirational art concepts relating to Andy. This graphic was done by Walt Pourier from a photo by Ivory Serra which was taken in the streets of NYC!! Plus, having a 10″x34″deck in the the Wounded Knee line-up can only make us look tougher!(Right Kess?) So, if your gonna ride this board, do it with style (get Indy’s) and have fun because that is what Andy Kessler is all about!
Jim Murphy