Dogtown and Z-Boys (2001)

Dogtown and Z-Boys

Dogtown and Z-Boys (2001) is a raw, energizing documentary about the Zephyr skate team that reinvented skateboarding in 1970s Southern California. Subtitled "The Birth of Extreme," the film traces how a group of surfers from Venice–Santa Monica turned polyurethane-wheeled boards into a high-flying, acrobatic sport—practicing on steep streets, playgrounds and, famously, in empty backyard pools during California’s drought. Through archival footage and first‑hand recollections, you watch the Z-Boys astonish the skate world at the 1975 Del Mar championship, invent vertical pool riding, and then splinter as some members chase bigger opportunities. The movie captures the heady creativity of the 70s, the sport’s slide into the 80s, and its lucrative resurgence in the 90s, while profiling icons like Jay Adams, Stacy Peralta and Tony Alva. Viewers can expect gritty, kinetic visuals, vivid oral histories, and a bittersweet sense of how a grassroots subculture exploded into a global phenomenon. Ideal for fans of sports history, subculture documentaries, and anyone curious about the birth of modern skateboarding.

Actors: Sean Penn, Jay Adams, Tony Alva

Director: Stacy Peralta

Runtime: 91 min

Genres: Documentary, Sport

Filmaffinity Rating 7.4 /10 Metacritic Rating 76 /100 IMDB Rating 7.6 /10 Bmoat Rating 7.5 /10