Stoked: The Evolution of Action Sports
is a visual history of the world's most exciting sports. Through
daring and dramatic images, Stoked
celebrates the daring and fearlessness, the beauty and glory, the
heights and depths, and the speed and agility of athletes who defy
the laws of nature and the limits of sanity.
Beyond the mountains, vert ramps and dirt, these sports
integrate music, fashion, art and entertainment into a way of life.
The heroes and icons of action sports saturate popular culture and
media. Athletes like Tony Hawk, brands like Quiksilver, Billabong
and Burton, video games such as Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer, and
events like the ESPN X Games and the 2006 Winter Olympics, where
snowboarder Shaun White was the breakout star, are blurring the
line between sports and culture.
Stoked's bold, modern, innovative
design makes it an art object unto itself. The book pushes its own
physical limits, mirroring the very pursuits it portrays. It is
fully interactive, with special materials and papers, pop-ups, and
stickers, among other special effects, and is sure to become a
collector's item.
Stoked is more than jaw-dropping
images. It features an introduction by Pulitzer-prize winning
journalist H.G. "Buzz" Bissinger, author of Friday Night Lights,
the nonfiction classic about high school football in Texas.
Stoked also includes vivid descriptions
from the athletes who defined their sports as well as contributions
from notable personalities, authors, photographers and musicians
who have tapped into the action sports lifestyle.
Stoked: The Evolution of Action Sports
is not for posers. Its authenticity and attitude appeal to insiders
as well as readers who are new to these sports.
Stoked is the definitive volume on the
subject.