Transworld Skateboarding

Transworld SKATEboarding is a skateboarding magazine, website, and production company owned by Bonnier Corporation.

Founded in 1983, TWS was a response to Thrasher Magazine and specifically to the December 1982 article ‘Skate and Destroy’ written by C.R. Stecyk III under the pen name ‘Lowboy’, and the February 1983 advertisement for Independent Trucks that featured a topless model with Independent decals on her breasts.

History

TRANSWORLD began publishing under the ownership of Larry Balma, owner of Tracker Trucks, and Peggy Cozens. Initially, the publishing and editorial team were known as the ‘United Skate Front’. Balma later spoke of the magazine’s beginnings as a reaction to Thrasher, saying ‘They were pretty harsh, sex and drugs and using four-letter words and all that and in the early '80s, the sport started growing and (Thrasher) wasn't the best magazine for young kids’ (Union-Tribune, 2003).

The first issue of TWS contained the article ‘Skate and Create’ and its author Peggy Cozens noted ‘I have become increasingly concerned about a new skate attitude being pushed on skaters: Skate and Destroy’ (Cozens, 1983, p. 13). The article went on to highlight the positive and creative side of skating. The stance of the magazine remained positive (Weyland, 2002) to the extent that Thrasher owner Fausto Vitello wrote ‘They were about Skate and Create; we were about Skate and Destroy.’ (NHS, 2004, p. 17).

The magazine recruited David......
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