Mike Weed was one of the great all-round American skateboarders of the 1970s and some say the most photographed around the US circuit. His style and balance drew cameramen to him. They knew where to go for the best action shots.
Fitness, Mike feels, was the key to his success. He spent literally hours a day perfecting his mind-blowing tricks. To him, walking the dog was like he was ripping it out of a machine gun! Given half a chance though he’d pick his way along to more radical terrains. Genuine pools and pipe-lines were attractions he simply couldn’t resist, even though he was the first to admit that skateparks were the greatest thing to happen to skateboarding since the development of the urethane wheel. Mike Weed demonstrated safety techniques and tested new products when working for Hobie. Whilst at home this 18-year-old (in 1977) skate-star got off on his guitar playing and a mania for good organic food.
Here are some of Mike Weed’s contest results, as listed in 1977 by the UK Skateboarder magazine:
1st place. Arizona State. Pro Free-style1975;
3rd place. LA Costa. Pro Slalom;
3rd place. Long Beach World Contest. Pro Free-style;
3rd place . Carlsbad World Contest. Bowl Riding:
lst place. Carlsbad World Contest. Flatland Free-style. l975;
1st place. Pro Free- style A Ventura State Championship:
1st place. Pro Free-style 7 Northern California. Pro-Am;
1st place. Pro Free-style 7 Belmont South Bay Open;
2nd place. Pro Free-style – Long Beach World’s Invitational.
Film Roles: Goin’ Surfin’, Downhill Motion and the award-winning film The Magic Rolling Board. Five Summer Stories, Mike also featured in a TV soft drink commercial.
This was re-worded from an article in 1977 Skatboarder magazine.
Wow, I just searched him on the Internet when I was little he dated my sister and they built a full half pipe skateboard ramp in my backyard. I used to skate on a Hobie skateboard that had a picture of him on it.
Sorry to find out he passed away. He also reprimanded me because I would lay on my skateboard on my stomach with my hair up in pigtails. He told me they would get caught in the wheels. I would never listen and one day they did and I ate asphalt.
He taught me how to care for my skateboard wheels and trucks, and how to adjust them so I could make sharper turns.