Steve Berra – Foundation Rolling Thunder (1995)

Steve Berra is such a weirdo these days but he didn’t used to be.

I am certain this is a controversial choice for some, but old Steve Berra, the one kickflip backside 50-50ing 8 stair handrails and blunt kickflipping on vert was rad. The new scientologist, Cariuma representative, industry darkman talking nonsense into cameras at his private skatepark facility (The Berrics) is not.

Anyway, I don’t want us to focus our attention on the bad. I want us to focus on the good and during the mid-Nineties Steve Berra was a hot commodity. Announced as a mystery rider for Foundation back in 1993 doing suave tech tricks on curbs, Steve progressed to a solid trick selection on tall ledges, rails and gaps within only a couple of years.

Steve was a posterboy for the new generation of confident pros putting a beating on LA spots. He shared a house with Eric Koston, he had pro spotlights in Transworld magazines and videos and he eventually found a spot on Tony Hawk’s Birdhouse Skateboards.

I want to take this brief paragraph to remind everyone that Steve Berra, as shit as he is today, has one of the best backside flips ever. I mean, he eventually took one over a plane for the Hurley Video several years later.

Unfortunately, Steve fell in love with acting, married a famous actress and discovered Scientology. Xenu and L. Ron Hubbard had different ideas for Steve’s pro career and he has never been the same since. Cults are bad kids. Don’t follow them.