SK8 Magazine
Celebrating Skate Culture & the Pioneering Icons
Given the opportunity to revisit and revise earlier work from our time in the MFA program at Boston University for our final project, Authorship & Independence, I chose to expand on one of my favorite projects from the Fall 2025 semester in Typography: The Glossary of Sk8boarding.
As a born-and-raised West Coast kid, I naturally gravitated toward skateboarding — its energy, culture, and style. So when we were given an open-ended typography assignment to create an infographic poster, I ollied into it, excited to showcase the gnarly slang and technical trick terminology coined and popularized by the pioneers who helped shape skateboarding into a global phenomenon. The poster reflected that same chaotic energy and elegant grace found in skating: tilted text, curving vectors, and bold colors dominated the composition. The result became one of my proudest pieces from the semester.
Even then, I knew I wanted to push it further.
When brainstorming what to create next, I initially considered a brochure-style zine using the same content — but it felt too safe. Looking for inspiration, I revisited Thrasher Magazine and its dynamic, diverse, and experimental spreads that first drew me into skate culture. With access to its extensive archive — dating back to its first issue in January 1981 — I found endless reference points. Instead of simply expanding the infographic, I decided to create something more immersive: a full celebration of skateboarding’s rich history and the G.O.A.T.s who define it and the new-school skaters revolutioning the sport.
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With a ’90s magazine aesthetic in mind, I began crafting Issue #1 of SK8, a publication dedicated to skateboarders and what the culture means to them. Encouraged by my professor and peers, I pushed typography in nontraditional ways — bending letterforms, rotating text unpredictably, and treating each character as its own shape to break free from rigid lines and blocks.
To make the magazine more accessible to newcomers, I also included a how-to guide on standing, balancing, and riding a skateboard. I shot these images in an abandoned parking ramp inside the 808 Commonwealth building, using myself and my decade-old board as the subject to demonstrate each step needed to confidently cruise.
To tie everything together, I incorporated archival ’90s skate advertisements throughout the spreads and printed the magazine on newsprint paper, giving it an authentic, tactile connection to the era I’m paying homage to.
The final product evolved into a magazine that stands proudly alongside The Glossary of Sk8boarding. And honestly — this might just be the first issue of many.
So as my last words to you; go on now… SK8!
