THE VAULT

Now you can relive all the action from the past six years of the World Round-Up by clicking on THE VAULT. Compiled by the crew at Thor Media, this new section features photos taken by Jim Goodrich, and other contributing photographers, of the contest, awards presentation, after party, and just fooling around.

Goodrich is perhaps the hardest working person at the World Round-Up as he is continually moving around getting up and down off his knees to get the best shot. Then after all the competitors have headed home, he edits all his photos, a process that takes weeks, and makes them available for FREE on his Facebook Page. Now that is what I call dedication and professionalism. Let me tell you a bit about my good friend “G-Dog,” the nickname he was given by the Dog Town Boys.

Jim got his start in skate photography in 1976 when a skateboarding accident sent him to the hospital with a broken arm. While recovering, he bought a camera and began shooting his skate buddies, which led to him being hired by Warren Bolster as a staff photographer at SkateBoarder Magazine in 1978.

For years he photographed the top skate talent from around the world and chronicled the golden age of skateboarding. He later went on to work at Gullwing Trucks as manager and team coach, then as the managing editor at TransWorld Skateboarding Magazine.

Considered to be one of the top skate photographers in the world, Jim was inducted into the Florida Skateboard Hall of Fame in 2013. Jim once told me, “My favorite photos are usually the ones that feel more connected to surfing reminding me of a time when skateboarding was more about fun, not tricks. Skaters say my photos make them want to go skate, I couldn’t ask for a better compliment.”

Jim’s biggest stoke now is experiencing and shooting the new skateboarding generation from a fresh perspective. We have been lucky enough to have him as our official staff photographer covering the World Freestyle Round-Up each year.