The Platfrm just released a short documentary that highlights Jaime Owens, the founder of Closer Skateboard Magazine and someone who has been deeply involved in skateboarding media for years.
If you have read a copy of Closer skate mag or followed skate mags over the past few decades, there is a good chance his name has come up more than once.
The film takes you back to Jaime’s early days growing up in a small town in South Carolina.
His introduction to skateboarding was pretty simple. He saw a kid down the street riding a board and was instantly curious.
But things really clicked when his sister gave him a copy of TransWorld SKATEboarding from December 1986.
Rodney Mullen was on the cover, and that magazine changed everything for him. Not long after, his mom helped him buy his first skateboard from the neighbor for forty dollars.
As he started skating more, Jaime also started picking up a camera to shoot photos of his friends.
He found himself drawn not just to skating, but also to capturing the feeling and movement of it through photography.
After college, instead of taking a safer route, he packed up and moved to California. His goal was clear. He wanted to make skate photography his full-time thing.
He started out as an intern at Skateboarder Magazine and eventually became its photo editor. Later, he moved on to TransWorld SKATEboarding, where he worked his way up to editor-in-chief.
His eye for good photography and strong stories helped shape both magazines in a way that resonated with skaters around the world.
Eventually, Jaime decided it was time to build something new. That’s when he launched Closer Skateboard Magazine.
Unlike most skate media today, Closer is a print magazine with a strong focus on photography, thoughtful interviews, and timeless design.