Powell Peralta Skateboards: The Legend That Changed Skateboarding Forever

Powell Peralta Skateboards is undoubtedly one of the most important and revolutionary brands in the history of global skateboarding. The name comes from the combination of the surnames of the two founders of this legendary brand: George Powell and Stacy Peralta, two figures who transformed a simple skateboard into a global cultural phenomenon.

From a very young age, George Powell showed a strong passion for technical design and engineering. After studying at Stanford University, he began building one of his first skateboard prototypes as early as 1957. At the time, however, urethane wheels did not yet exist, and skateboards were fitted with extremely stiff, low-performance wheels that made riding unstable and jerky. That first project was therefore shelved for years.

It wasn’t until 1974 that everything changed. When his son pulled one of the old prototypes built years earlier out of the garage, George Powell realized that the advent of urethane was completely revolutionizing the world of skateboarding. Finally, those boards could become fast, smooth, and truly high-performance.

From that moment on, Powell began continuously experimenting with new construction methods. The first prototypes were tested directly by his friend Stacy Peralta, already one of California’s most influential skaters. George built boards out of fiberglass and aluminum, developed urethane wheels, and experimented with new geometries at a time when skateboarding was still searching for its modern identity.

Realizing the enormous potential of skateboarding, Powell left his job in the aerospace industry for good and moved from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara to devote himself entirely to his new company. After an initial collaboration with Sims Skateboards to produce slalom boards, Powell Peralta Skateboards was officially founded in 1978.

Powell Peralta and the Birth of the Bones Brigade

Between 1979 and the early 1980s, Stacy Peralta realized that skateboarding was entering a new era. Thus was born the legendary Bones Brigade, arguably the most influential team in the history of skateboarding.

The Bones Brigade was not merely a team of sponsored skaters. It was a true cultural revolution that would define the aesthetics, language, and technical evolution of modern skateboarding. The team included some of the strongest and most innovative riders of all time: Tony Hawk, Rodney Mullen, Steve Caballero, Tommy Guerrero, Lance Mountain, Mike McGill, Ray “Bones” Rodriguez, Frankie Hill, Bucky Lasek, Colin McKay, Danny Way, Guy Mariano, and many others.

For entire generations of skaters, Powell Peralta was the first true professional skateboard. The graphics created by legendary artist Vernon Courtlandt Johnson became iconic and still represent some of the most recognizable designs in skateboarding history. From the “Skull and Sword” to Tony Hawk’s falcon to Tommy Guerrero’s flaming sword, every Powell Peralta board had a unique identity.

During the skateboarding boom of the 1980s, Powell Peralta and Santa Cruz completely dominated the global market, becoming absolute symbols of skate culture.

The Powell Peralta videos that revolutionized skateboarding

One of Stacy Peralta’s greatest strokes of genius was understanding the importance of skate videos before anyone else. Powell Peralta didn’t produce simple promotional clips, but full-fledged skate movies that forever changed the way skateboarding was told.

Between 1984 and the late 1980s, absolute masterpieces such as “The Bones Brigade Video Show,” “Future Primitive,” “The Search For Animal Chin,” “Public Domain,” “Axe Rated,” and the legendary “Ban This” were released.

These videos not only showed the world tricks never seen before, but also helped spread skateboarding globally by creating a completely new visual language. “Future Primitive” was one of the videos that definitively marked the transition toward a more modern, technical, and creative style of skateboarding. Tommy Guerrero introduced a completely innovative street style, while Mike McGill showed the world the first historic McTwist.

With “Ban This,” Powell Peralta likely reached one of the highest points in its history. The video perfectly captures the end of the 1980s and foreshadows the evolution of street skating that would dominate the following years. Riders like Frankie Hill, Ray Barbee, Tommy Guerrero, and a very young Guy Mariano began to showcase a new way of interpreting the street.

The 1990s, the Changing Scene, and the Split

With the start of the 1990s, the world of skateboarding changed radically. Many new independent brands emerged, and several legendary riders left Powell Peralta to found new companies. Tommy Guerrero helped launch Real Skateboards, while other pros began migrating toward the new street scene.

Despite this, Powell continued to produce major videos such as “Fight,” “Tropical Fish,” “Hot Batch,” “Chaos,” “Play,” “Strip Mall Heroes,” and “Magic.” During these years, the team remained incredibly strong with riders like Bucky Lasek, Colin McKay, Chris Senn, Frankie Hill, Ray Underhill, and our own Giorgio Zattoni.

Giorgio Zattoni himself became one of the most iconic figures in Italian skateboarding thanks to the Powell videos of the 1990s, showcasing an incredible vert style, massive airs, and a technique that is still remembered today as one of the most spectacular ever seen in Europe.

Shortly after, Stacy Peralta officially left the company, and the brand continued simply as Powell, focusing on the production of boards, wheels, bearings, and technical components even during the most difficult years for the skateboarding industry.

The Return of Stacy Peralta and the Modern Rebirth of Powell Peralta

In 2010, George Powell and Stacy Peralta finally resumed their collaboration, officially bringing the Powell Peralta name back to life. From that moment on, the brand experienced a new global resurgence.

Many of the historic graphics that made the brand iconic in the 1980s were relaunched, while new technologies began to further enhance the quality of the boards. Among these is the famous Flight Deck construction, an advanced technology developed by Powell that uses composite materials to drastically increase the board’s strength, pop, and durability.

Today, Powell Peralta remains one of the most respected brands in the global skateboarding scene thanks to a perfect blend of history, innovation, and performance. The modern team includes absolute legends like Steve Caballero alongside extraordinary contemporary riders such as Andy Anderson, Kelvin Hoefler, Ben Hatchell, Kilian Martin, Charlie Blair, and many others.

From pro decks to Bones wheels, bearings, apparel, and technical accessories, Powell Peralta continues to play a fundamental role in global skateboarding culture.

Powell Peralta and Pleasures Milano 

At Pleasures Milano, we curate brands that have truly shaped the history of skateboarding, and Powell Peralta is one of the most important brands ever to exist. We’re talking about a company that revolutionized boards, videos, graphics, teams, and skate culture, influencing entire generations of skaters around the world.

Even today, Powell Peralta continues to embody innovation, performance, and authenticity in skateboarding. From the historic Bones Brigade reissues to the modern Flight Deck models, at Pleasures Milano you’ll find a selection curated by those who have lived and breathed skateboard culture every day for over twenty-five years.