Are you wondering what the best skateboarding movies of all time are for a little skateboarding movie marathon? Well lucky for you we have compiled a list of the best skateboarding films ever made!
Although skateboarding has been around since the 1970s, films that revolve around skateboarding and skateboarding culture are surprisingly few and far between. Even during the 1980s when skate culture really took off, very little films revolved around the industry so putting this compilation together was no small feat.
However, we have found some gems and golden oldies together with a few big budget blockbuster films to add to your movie bucket list. The films listed below, whether fictional or documentary style, are classics and a must watch if you are in the skate scene.
Check out these cult classics if you haven’t already and then let us know your thoughts in the comments below. We’d love to hear your movie recommendations too.
Best Skateboarding Movies
Lords Of Dogtown (2005)

Written by former professional skater turned documentary maker Stacy Peralta, “Lords of Dogtown” chronicles the rise of surfing and skateboarding subcultures in Venice and Santa Monica, California during the 1970s.
The film tells the story of the Z-Boys, a group of trailblazing skateboarders from Los Angeles who were responsible for the skate subculture of today. Z-Boys was led by Stacy Peralta, Jay Adams, and Tony Alva, who all grew up around Venice and Santa Monica which back then was considered a beachfront slum.
These young boys became known for riding big ramps and skateboarding in empty swimming pools in the backyards of unwitting home owners. Riding the drained pools reminded the boys of surfing ocean waves due to the curved sides of the concrete.
Over time, the three skaters managed to make a name for themselves in sports history becoming the most influential skateboarders of modern skateboarding. The film can be summed up as a rise and fall tale of friendships pushed to their limits by unforeseen superstardom.
This film stars Heath Ledger who plays Skip Engblom, a pioneering surf shop owner responsible for inventing polyurethane skateboard wheels which became instrumental in the skateboarding industry because the design had better grip allowing for more traction.
Lords Of Dogtown is quite possibly the best skateboarding movie of all time and a must watch! It is a highly satisfying film that vividly paints a portrait of the skate scene in the 1970s. Even non-skateboarders will love this movie about skateboarding.
Gleaming The Cube (1989)

Unless you grew up in the 1990s or earlier, you probably haven’t heard of Gleaming The Cube. It came out in 1989 and is about a skateboarder named Brian Kelly (played by Christian Slater) who witnesses his adopted Vietnamese brother Vin get murdered. However, the thugs who murdered Vinh cover it up as a suicide so Brian sets out to get the bad guys.
Before tragedy touches Brian, he spends his days skating empty pools, half pipes, and abandoned warehouses with his group of friends. After his brother’s death, he becomes determined to discover who is responsible. As the slogan of the film says, “all he cared about was gleaming the cube until the night they killed his brother”.
The movie is set in California and has an extremely great cast of skateboarders such as Tony Hawk, Lance Mountain, Stacy Peralta, and more. This film will give you a taste of how skateboarding was perceived in 1989 in Hollywood.
Brands like Powell Peralta and Thrasher make an appearance as does music from DRI, which all gave skateboarding a notable identity during that decade.
If you haven’t seen this film yet, we highly recommend giving this cult classic a watch. Even if you have seen it, this one is always worth a re-watch!
Street Dreams (2009)

Street Dreams is a classic skateboarding movie about a kid from the Midwest who dreams of becoming sponsored and having a career in professional skateboarding.
Derrick Cabrera (played by Paul Rodriguez), is a young up and coming skater with talent but his parents don’t understand Derrick’s passion for skateboarding and can’t see a future for him in the skateboarding industry.
Only Derrick’s small group of friends are supportive of his dreams to become a professional skater. He and his fellow skateboarding friends spend their days skating at spots around the city, being pursued by cops for skating where they shouldn’t be, and planning how to make names for themselves.
Derrick and his friends end up running away to Ohio to visit a skatepark with the perfect rail so they all can practice for the upcoming Tampa AM amateur skateboarding contest in Florida. Basically, this movie chronicles the many hurdles the group of friends must go through to achieve their dreams. I won’t spoil the film’s ending.
This film was actually written and produced by Rob Dyrdek, and also stars Dyrdek himself as one of the main character’s best friends. Other skateboarders that star in this movie include Ryan Dunn, Terry Kennedy, and Ryan Sheckler.
Thrashin’ (1986)

Corey Webster is a teen visiting Los Angeles from the Midwest. He plans to enter and win a downhill skateboarding competition called “The Massacre”. His main competitor is Hook, the ruthless leader of a local punk rock skateboarding gang. Corey soon falls for Chrissy, Hook’s beautiful younger sister, and needless to say even more conflict ensues.
The movie follows these kids skateboarding around Los Angeles as they cause mischief and terrorize locals at Venice Beach. A brutal brawl breaks out between Corey and Hook right before the day of the skate competition. Afterwards, Corey must find the courage to continue with his goal of entering and winning the downhill race with his injuries.
This film is very 80s, from the huge hairstyles to clothing and cheesy dialogue, but it is still a highly entertaining movie and a must watch for skateboarding buffs! See if you can spot Tony Hawk, Tony Alva, Lance Mountain and Steve Caballero make their appearances.
Mid-90s

This skateboarding film is the most recently made on this list of the best skateboarding movies of all time. It was wildly popular with both those in the skateboarding community and by non-skateboarders. The Hollywood made film was written and directed by Jonah Hill who says it was loosely based on his childhood.
As for the narrative, Mid-90s is a coming of age story about a twelve year old kid named Stevie growing up in Los Angeles during the 1990s. Stevie is drawn to a group of skateboarders who display anti-social attitudes and daredevil behavior in their skateboarding and he strives to be just like them after acquiring a skateboard from his brother.
The film was released in the United States on October 19, 2018 and was well received by film critics who praised the sense of nostalgia. If you’ve been under a rock for the past couple years and somehow missed this film, be sure to check it out when you can.
Fun Fact: Skateboarding legend Chad Muska appears as a homeless man twice in this film.
All This Mayhem

All This Mayhem chronicles the tragic story of what happens when raw talent and extreme personalities collide. This movie is an account of skateboarders Tas and Ben Pappas’ rise to fame and subsequent fall and the strong bond between the brothers.
In case you aren’t familiar with these two Australian skateboarders, Ben and Tas rose to fame during the late 1990s not only because of their talent, but also because of the charisma they both displayed.
In 1996, Ben (Benjamin James Pappas born on 13 May 1978 – 4 March 2007) was ranked number two in the world for skateboarding while his older brother Tas was number one at the same time. The pair quickly earned a reputation for their confrontational behavior, partying, and drug use which eventually led to the demise of their skateboarding careers.
The documentary which features well-sourced footage of the boys’ childhood is quite heartbreaking but is an interesting and alternative glimpse into the world of professional skateboarding. While the film is a little dark and will take you on an emotional rollercoaster, it is well worth a watch if you are seriously into skate history and culture.
Fun Fact: The Pappas brothers had some beef with Tony Hawk back in the day as you’ll learn from the film once you’ve seen it. If you are interested in Tony Hawk’s reply to the accusations made in the film against him check out this interview with Tony by Transworld.
Waiting For Lightening

Waiting For Lightening is a rags to riches story about professional skateboarder Danny Way. This documentary outlines Way’s life from his childhood with elements of retrospective bits and ending the film with the capping of his career in his famous attempt to jump the Great Wall Of China.
Yes, you heard that right. In 2005, Danny Way tried to jump China’s Great Wall. Not only was this a physically insane idea, but apparently it was a logistical and political nightmare having to obtain permission from the Chinese government. Somehow Way’s manager was able to get the deal made as long as the event was seen as a government sponsored endorsement of extreme sports.
This is a great movie to watch, especially if you are a fan of extreme skateboarding. It’s also great for those of you who want to brush up on your skateboarding history and learn a little bit of back story about the legends of skateboarding.
Fun Fact: Danny began skateboarding at a very early age and was one of the youngest talents to come out of the legendary Del Mar scene along with other skateboarding legends such as Tony Hawk, Rodney Mullen and Matt Hoffman. Tony Hawk along with other well known skateboarders make appearances throughout this film.
Dogtown And Z Boys

Set in the sun-kissed concrete hills of California in the 1970s, Dogtown and Z Boys follows the inception and evolution of skateboarding as we know it, and how it has been strongly influenced by the surf culture in Santa Monica and Venice Beach, all seen through the eyes of the pioneering Zephr Skate Team.
The Z Boys were responsible for the phenomenon of skateboarding in backyard pools during one of California’s record breaking droughts which has heavily influenced the design and builds of skateparks seen today.
Members of the Zephyr team eventually gained national attention when they competed in skateboard championships and started to receive media attention for their skills as young athletes and their distinctive skateboarding style shaped by surfing.
This award winning cult classic film was written and directed by Stacy Peralta who was an original member of the Zephyr team. The documentary features vintage video footage and photos of the Zephyr skateboard team from the 1970s along with contemporary interviews from the original members of the Zephyr team.
This is an excellent documentary about the skateboarding subculture in California and is a must watch for all skateboarding enthusiasts.
Bones Brigade

A decade after earning acclaim for Dogtown and Z-Boys, Stacy Peralta turned in another fan-favorite documentary called Bones Brigade: An Autobiography.
The documentary chronicles the formation of the Bones Brigade skating team which was comprised of six teenage skateboarders in the 1980s. This film charts how the team blazed trails and pioneered new trends in skateboarding at that time, and how their influence is still felt decades later.
The Bones Brigade is the story of the most famous team in the history of skateboarding, as told by its members Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero, Tommy Guerrero, Lance Mountain, Rodney Mullen and Mike McGill.
This is one of the most important documentaries in the history of skateboarding and is a must watch for any skateboarder who is interested in skate culture and the history of the sport. Stacy Peralta’s superb homage to skateboarding’s first ever super team is golden.
You Might Also Like:
- Best Skate Shoes For Skateboarding (2023)
- 10 Biggest Skateparks In The USA
- Best Female Skateboarders In 2022
- 11 Skater Girls To Follow On Instagram
- Which Airlines Let You Take A Skateboard On The Plane?
READ NEXT
8 Reasons You Should Start Skateboarding Today
Are you thinking about hoping on a skateboard and having the most fun you can on four wheels but you are still on the fence?…
Skateboarders Guide To X Games In Ventura
X Games California 2023 is coming to Ventura from July 21 to 23, so be sure to mark your calendars. This action-packet event is perfect for…
10 Awesome Skateboarding Instagram Accounts To Follow
Instagram is for many skateboarders the primary source where they view the most skateboarding related content. Let’s face it, we have our phones glued to…