Original Makaha and Hobie team rider and the first National and International Champion Skateboarder, Danny Bearer has been lurking on S&A for a while. Becasue he doesn’t seem to be able to keep his PR comments on topic, I decided to give him his own post. Danny, this is it. This is where you can let everyone know about your book, movie, media appearances, all of it.
….have finished the new film “Defence Above All” Contact 310-452-1030 or dannybearer@yahoo.com and dannybearerenterprises.com, Thank you,the book is in the works. The story of the first Professional Skateboard Club Makaha and the 10 year World Championship Team reign of the Hobie Alter Golden Diamond Surf Team still in competition in California in the early 1960’s , Thank you, Larry Stevenson,the Father of the Skateboard and Hobie Alter! Very truly yours, Danny Bearer
Speaking of movies, the Makaha web site says filming has almost wrapped on a project called “Makaha, The Story of the Originator.” Meanwhile, catch some vintage video of Danny and his teammates in action after the jump. Juice Magazine has an online excerpt of an interview with Danny in issue #57, conducted by Steve Olson. Lastly, let’s not forget DannyBearerEnterprises.com.
[Photo: Found at Surfwriter.net]
Danny introduces the video on the web site LA Taco:
This is an old vid of the Makaha Skateboard Club. We have the first five members of the Skateboard Hall of Fame. Squeak Blank, Jon Freis, Torger True Johnson, yours truly, Bruce Logan and also the one and only Tony Alva the sixth member, inducted in Canada 1996. We all still ride and we have four signature models, Woody Woodward, Danny Bearer, Bruce Logan and Greg Carroll. See Makahaskateboards.com for more info! Our leader is David Michael Rochlan Jr. He, along with Larry, is responsible for making the skateboard club. Makaha is like the New York Yankees Baseball Club.
The spots seen in the video are: Bonzai Pipeline (Marquez Knolls Elementary School), Malibu (Brentwood Elementary School), Waimea Bay (Beligio Elementary School) and Sunset Beach is (Paul Revere Middle school) These are the roots schools for skateboarding in Los Angeles!
30 comments
tom roney
My sister was friends with Danny’s sister and I knew her too she is soo nice didn’t know her brother started skateboarding at all my favorite spots growing up.
Palisades original californians those were the coolests days in L.A.,I think Santa Cruz or north county San Diego are still pretty cool.
How did the palisades go from a surf town to a over populated rat race?
Anyway that footage made my day,Daniel had the cleanest style ever!!!Surf first,skate second with good looking style.The backwords hangten was my favorite.
Rory Wicks
Danny: What happened to Squeak? We were acquaintances at Toes when he was a member of the West Del Rey Surf Club. Rory
Emmanuel Chen
Brad “Squeak” Blank lives in Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii. He is still active. email me if you would like to contact him…nic96name@aol.com
kc
Danny Bearer was an easy target for some of us on skateandannoy
Looking back on his ramblings, and hearing some of the info coming in, makes me understand a little more about him. It’s hard to tell if someone has a mental illness, and it’s real easy to dismiss them as kooks, weirdos, or someone who is just self absorbed. The fact is he was an awesome skater, wether it be then, or now, and that should be respected.
GHOST OF DANNY BEARER
….yours truly, GHOST OF DANNY BEARER.
GHOST OF DANNY BEARER
THATS TRUE JAKE!DANNY BEARER DOES NOT LIKE MOURNERS! DANNY BEARER, THE LATE,GREAT, SKATE..LEGEND IS IN HEAVEN AND PERFORMING MANUEVERS BEYOND EARTHLY COMPREHENSION!!!
CHAPTER 1, HEAVENS GATE: DANNY BEARER DIES FACE DOWN BUT HIS SOUL ASCENDS TO HEAVEN! DANNY BEARERS NEW FAVORITE PLACE TO SKATE IS EVEN BETTER THAN SPAIN!!!
DON’T WORRY ABOUT SKATE LEGEND DANNY BEARER, HE ALWAYS LANDS ON HIS FEET!!!
JAKEANDANNOY
Huh. Ol’ Danny actually grew on me.
Anyone can be a troll, he was just eccentric.
I don’t think he would appreciate sorrow as much as he would recognition.
This is not a eulogy,
very truly yours JAKE FERRANTI
Scotty
FYI.. DANNY BEARER passed away yesterday Sept 27, 2009.. his brother found him on the floor of his living room.. There were no signs of foul play.. I spoke to his sister Wendy, services will be held this friday. On another better note, there will be a showing of the Makaha Documentary this Oct.. more info soon… RIP Danny..
kilwag
According to the guys at Poweredge, Danny had some serious mental health issues, some of which manifested in his posts here. They asked that we cut him some slack in regards to his rambling here. I said in all likelihood he would fade into obscurity here on S&A after a bit. I think I may have contacted a few people and asked them to take it easy.
skaterhusseindave
Do we need a new nut?
conahan
Danny Bearer has died according to the publisher of Juice Magazine on Facebook:
Dan Levy: Danny Bearer RIP. One of the first skateboarders on earth. We will miss him.
Babette Vanderploeg: Just heard from a good friend that Danny Bearer past away over the weekend.
Services will be at the Corpus Christi Church in the Palisades this Friday at 10 am.
Daniel Bearer
Dear Curt, The Thrasher Magazine established THE SKATEBOARD HALL OF FAME in Canada. Do your home work. The first five members of the HALL OF FAME are all on your Club…………. S. Blank, Torger True Johnson, Danny Bearer, John Freis and Bruce Logan……Very truly yours, Danny Bearer
Daniel Bearer
Dear Curt,……just wanted to honor your great come back with your computor savey and THE POWEREDGEMAGAZINE.COM and VIDEO ROCK WEB SITE. Long live THE MAKAHA SKATEBOARD AND SKI CLUB OWNER SHAWN BRYANT, LARRY STEVENSON, and the talented son ,CURT STEVENSON THE MIKKI DORA ,THE PRINCE OF MALIBU OF SKATEBOARDING AND SURFING !!! CHEERS from George Trafton, Scott Archer, Woody Woodward, Davey Hilton, Greg Carrol, Bruce Logan,S Hilton, and yours truly, thank you for all your great work !!!
Danny Bearer
Shawn Bryant, producer and director extrodiaire when are you going to premier ” MAKAHA, THE ORIGINATOR?”
Danny Bearer
Curt when is the show going to be ? Very truly yours, Danny Bearer
bobcat
oh damn – he’s talking to himself in 3rd person like The Rock.
WHAT KIND OF MONSTER HAVE YOUS CREATED?????!@!!
Danny Bearer
Curtis Stevenson, Larry Stevenson, Bruce Logen, Gregg Carroll,Woody Woodward and yours truly are the MAKAHA SKATEBOARD AND SKI CLUB. Our owner is Shawn Bryant also the Producer and Director of the new film ” MAKAHA, the Originator ” We skateboard for fun and profit, thank you, Daniel Bearer. Keep your eyes open and you shall see !
JAKEANDANNOY
Danny bearer is responsible for pigflu. So lets all thank Danny,thanks Danny.
Fitz
This guy is a boring old hack, and he’s trying to make a buck off the fact he rode a skateboard a long time ago. He’s bitter that his contemporaries took it to another level, and what’s worse, he’s trying to work in some weak-ass Christain angle.
Nothing there to respect.
Kilwag
OK (Deep breath…) I can respect the first wave, but I don’t think it’s very connected in any way beyond the superficial to skateboarding in latter decades. I don’t feel like we owe them a great debt, stylistically or any other way.
That being said, I LOVE that picture (movie still) at the top, and its still skateboarding. I certainly write about the 60’s often enough here, but I don’t practice headstands at the empty tennis courts.
It’s still interesting in exploring the past, unless you are the most narrow of narrow minded, short attention span-having self absorbed person. Skateboarding doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Even in Marek’s case, (great story , by the way) that Russian board came from somewhere, and had a history as to why it was made.
There’s certainly some sour grapes in Danny’s writing, but it’s equally as lame to discount someone just because they are old and the past is past.
Fitz
Aging with grace and fading into obscurity have a lot in common.
cold ones
It’s a dog eat dog world and I’m wearing milkbone underwear, Woody
Welsh Pete
that’s the best thing you’ve written bobcat. a true zen approach to skateboarding. i like it.
bobcat
hey simply stupid –
skateboarding doesn’t owe us shit.
neither do we owe it for saving our lives.
hall of fame is just a bunch of shit when it boils down to the facts.
in fact, skateboarding is like coping – get in, do your business then get the fuck out. don’t linger there expecting to get your checks, just do what you need to then leave. even if you ruled the spotlight 40 years ago. again, skateboarding doesn’t owe you shit.
curtis
I figure the hall of fame ultimately does not hold much weight. is there a room full of trophys somewhere? thanks for the post Kilwag, I dig the old stuff. that photo of Danny is cool. he also pioneered skater hair, Tony Hawk and Kevin Stabb where clearly influenced by this look. who is Norm? he ripped with style!
Simply Stupid
Is anybody else bummed there is a Skateboarding Hall of Fame? Here I thought we were trying to be unique.
Ryan Heckler
till he dropped some liquid sunshine and started on his jesus trip
Kilwag
Seems likely. – Sunshine
Livmo
OK, I’ll bite. Was Danny Bearer known as “Sunshine” for a short stint during the 70’s?
bobcat
that was then, this is now