Transworld Skateboarding – Undated Issue (likely early 2000s based on style and formatting)
This issue of Transworld Skateboarding centers around raw power, heavy tricks, and a deep appreciation for skateboarding’s past. The cover is all business: Chad Fernandez launches into a massive ollie to five-0 grind on a thick Santa Ana ledge, captured by Dave Swift. It's a classic hammer from one of the most fearless rail skaters of the era. Inside the contents, a note from Germany offers contrast—Christian Keil backside lipslides into a dry, transitionless pool in Mainz, making for an eerie, unconventional “pool ride” photo that blends creativity with danger.
The mag kicks off with its standard columns: Gasbag and Litterbox provide commentary, rants, and reader interactions. Volume and Tangent offer cultural snippets and observations, while Any One Thing likely zooms in on a specific obsession or detail in the skate world. That Page, a mysterious title, may be a standalone art/photo or unexpected inclusion. Starting Point and Trick Tip return readers to the basics—tour snapshots and step-by-step guidance, respectively.
At the back, Check Outs highlights rising talent, and Last Words wraps it all up with the magazine’s closing voice—often candid, often reflective.
But the heart of this issue is clearly Relapse: Skateboard Nostalgia, a photographic portfolio by Dave Swift. Positioned mid-mag, it’s a visual essay steeped in memory, showcasing moments, styles, and places that defined skateboarding in years past. Swift’s lens captures both the grit and the soul of eras gone by, offering readers a look back at the evolution of skateboarding through classic images and unforgettable spots.
This issue blends past and present: Fernandez stomping high-stakes ledge tricks, Keil carving dry pools, and Swift’s retrospective pulling it all together. It’s a reminder that while skateboarding always pushes forward, it never forgets where it came from.
