Lords of Dogtown is a 2005 biographical film directed by Catherine Hardwicke and written by Stacy Peralta.
The film is based on the story of "The Z-Boys", an influential group of skateboarders who revolutionized the sport. The movie is dedicated to the memory of comedian Mitch Hedberg, who appears in the movie but died before the film was released.
Set in the Dogtown area of Santa Monica in the early 1970s, surfers Tony Alva, Stacy Peralta, and Jay Adams enjoy the life of skating and surfing the pier with board designer Skip Engblom and the other locals. One day, Skip is given polyurethane wheels for the skateboards in his shop, Zephyr Skate Shop.
Teenager Sid, a friend of the boys who works in the same shop, invites Tony, Jay, Stacy and the other locals to test the new wheels. They are all amazed as the polyurethane wheels allow the skateboards to make the same carves on flat ground as surf boards on the waves.
After witnessing what Todd Levy from the Eastern Shore of Maryland could now do with the wheels, Skip decides to add to his already famous surf team, a skate team, the Z-Boys.
The team proves to be a success; winning many contests, Stacy, Jay, and Tony gain popularity from locals across Venice.
