The Newport Beach Film Festival will host the North American premiere of The Golden Era of Skateboarding, a documentary that dives deep into the contests, culture, and legendary figures that shaped vertical skateboarding.
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The pilot episode of this five-part series will screen on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at 8:30 PM at Starlight Triangle Cinemas in Newport Beach.
Set during the transformative years from 1978 to 1980, The Golden Era of Skateboarding offers an inside look at the birth of professional vertical competition.
From the Hester Series contests in San Diego to the Gold Cup Series in 1980, these events helped define the style, tricks, and community that would take skateboarding far beyond its early roots.
The film captures the excitement and creativity of those years, showing how a small subculture grew into a global movement.
Through rare archival footage, vintage photographs, and exclusive interviews with more than 45 skateboarding icons, including Tony Hawk, Tony Alva, Steve Caballero, Christian Hosoi, Jay Adams, and Eddie “El Gato” Elguera, the documentary gives a front-row view of this exciting period.
It also highlights reunions at the El Gato Classic Legends Weekend, where these athletes come together decades later to reconnect and celebrate the beginnings of vertical skateboarding.