RAY BARBEE — The Story of a Legend

Ray Barbee was recently given TWS’ Legend Award. In honor of the occasion, this short film was created that explains how Ray impacted skateboarding throughout his career. As a pioneer of street skating and one of the few black skaters to be featured in magazines and videos in the ‘80s, Ray helped usher in a level of diversity that previously wasn’t present. His innovations on his board include numerous flatground tricks, including the no-comply—which is still in heavy rotation today. To say that every skateboarder could learn something from Ray Barbee is an understatement. At the 10:17 mark, he lists three things that every young skateboarder should know: “Always make sure you’re having fun. Cherish the community. Be creative.”

The word legend is thrown around loosely in skateboarding. Ray is truly someone that deserves the title.