At 15” in width, the El Cochino deck takes most people by surprise the first time they see it. After all, it is monstrously wide. But as you can see in this photo, it’s quite possible to do frontside airs with the El Cochino. Many years ago, boards were 5” to 7” in width. Wes Humpston and Jim Muir started tinkering with deck sizes and skateboarding wound up with 10” and 12” decks. For vert skaters in the 70’s, the wider boards were just more functional to ride. As many of you know, decks haven’t just changed in width, they have also changed in length. The resurgence of longboarding has meant not only an influx of new riders but a return by many folks who left skateboarding. Wheels have gotten quite a bit larger than the 39mm from the early 90’s. The demand for wider trucks has also increased.

Noteworth products to watch out for profiling Jam Longboards, Loaded, GFH, Bordzup and Hamboards.

Considering its Pacific coast location and latitudes south of the Equator, it is not surprising that little is seen or heard about the skateboard scene in Chile. Invisible, maybe, but Chile is no different than most places and has seen it all—from banana board to popsicle stick, from clay to urethane and the rise and fall of giant skateparks in ‘80s.

In the mid seventies, I remember reading about Lonnie Toft. One of the first skaters to be seen riding a wider board and also the creator of the 8- wheeler. One of my all-time favorite skate photos was from that same era. The one of Lonnie cruising outside City Hall in Toronto, Ontario on his 8-wheeler, wearing a tuxedo, top-hat, and red Vans deck shoes while holding a cane on the deck. To this day, that photo is timeless and a classic. I was honored and lucky enough to be able to catch up with Lonnie.

Michael Brooke: What was it like being a part of the ‘70s skate scene? Chris Carmichael: Living in southern California in the early ‘70s was the epicenter for surfing and skateboarding. I was 14 years old when my grandfather gave me my first movie camera. I started surfing and entering contests and became No. 1 in 1969, in the boys division in the US. This also continued the following year in the Junior Men’s division. I was No. 1 in 1970 and 1971.