Marty Grimes (born 1962) is a goofy-footed professional American skateboarder from Los Angeles.[1] He is one of the original Los Angeles pool rippers, riding for Dogtown and Zephyr skateboards.[2][3] Grimes and his brother were the first African-American professional skateboarders, as they both went pro at the same time.[4]

Marty Grimes
Personal information
Full nameMarty Grimes
Born1962 (age 61–62)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Sport
CountryUnited States
SportSkateboarding

Early life

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Grimes grew up in Midtown, Los Angeles.[3][1] He went to Mar Vista Elementary, where they had a large embankment that Grimes would grow up to skate.[3] At age 10, a family member introduced Grimes to skating. Additionally, as part of the LAUSD desegregation busing, Grimes attended Paul Revere Junior High in Pacific Palisades, which had one of the best banks in the city, a popular skate spot.[5][3][6]

Skateboarding

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After competing in the 1975 Del Mar Skateboard Championships, Marty and his brother, Clyde, were offered sponsorships on the EZ Ryder team.[7] Grimes is the first black skater to have a signature model.[2][8][1]

Skate Video Appearances Year
Freewheelin' 1976
Go for It[9] 1976

References

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  1. ^ a b c Laine, Phil (January 1978). "Who's Hot?". Skateboarder Magazine.
  2. ^ a b Weyland, Jocko (2002). The Answer is Never: A Skateboarder's History of the World. Grove Press. ISBN 978-0-8021-3945-0.
  3. ^ a b c d "MARTY GRIMES". Juice Magazine. June 1, 2013. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  4. ^ "Against the Grain celebrates skate culture and the camera over the last 50 years". Creative Boom. July 2, 2018. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  5. ^ "Skating the deep end? Old school. Today's skaters are pushing their limits on stairs, handrails and anything else they can think of". Los Angeles Times. June 2, 2005. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  6. ^ "The history of Z-Flex Skateboards". Mpora. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  7. ^ Beal, Becky (2013). Skateboarding: The Ultimate Guide. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-0-313-38112-6.
  8. ^ "Z-Flex "The Beginning"". www.thrashermagazine.com. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  9. ^ Go for It, retrieved February 21, 2020


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