Zaturdays: Signature Accessories

Sometimes they’re blatant gimmicks, sometimes they can be more like a physical manifestation of a flamboyant personality, but they tend to get our attention regardless. I’m talking about those signature accessories that bring a specific skater to mind the moment you see them. Here are just a few classic examples from over the years. Tag me in on any others you come up with. In Feedback Muska said “the Ghetto Blaster is a must on the session, it’s just motivation, without the ghetto I don’t think I’d be doing a lot of my tricks.” This is perhaps the most famous signature accessory of all time. This is one of those that always seemed a little gimmicky, but who knows, the skater known as Simple As Death held onto his hankie as if his life depended on it. Was there really a broken wrist under there all those years? Or could the thing be slipped off when cameras weren’t around? You know, for handstands, arm wrestling, foosball and other wrist torqueing shenanigans. These things are out of control! Those French legs might be the true signature accessories here though. He might have given it up these days, but its impact can still be felt. Indy costarred in Dan’s video parts, had his own graphics, appeared in ads, went on tour, got BGPs, etc. He had more coverage than some pros actually. Not just unique, and good for hashtagging, but also filling, and usually delicious. I was going to use Nassim Guammaz for this one but he got a trim so we’re going to have to wait until it grows back. If hair is your signature accessory just pray there’s no gene for balding lurking in your family tree. Terrible for eating I’d assume, but who cares because man does a diamond grill look great. The facial tat shows a person with commitment, a certain tolerance for pain, and an attitude that cares not for future job opportunities, and why not? Professional skateboarding is the epitome of secure employment so why trip. Heath didn’t run the white on white gear all the time, but it struck a cord. Only a very special human can pull off such a bold look, with Heath being maybe one of three in the entire universe. Science and magic tell us that if Haslam ever cuts the beard he will no longer be able to perform even the simplest tricks on a skateboard. Countless skaters have tried to go this route, but few if any of them have made it work quite like Max. He seems to have extra saliva in there too, but his chompers spawned a nickname that makes his feats of derring-do that much more spectacular. Manny, the yin to Jaws’ yang. Not sure if this can be considered an accessory? But either way, Chet says his arm makes it impossible for him to carry firewood, so if you ever find yourself camping with Chet, don’t even ask. While we’re on the subject of physical characteristics that with a stretch could be characterized as signature accessories, just follow Frank’s nose. While it’s true that Peter never actually owned a snow camo Escalade as far as I know, he was famous for demanding one in an Osiris contract that never quite got agreed to by all parties involved. Would have been a better world to live in had it actually come to pass wouldn’t it have been? When you’re as good on the board as Suciu is, even nerd accessories can become cool. One of the great things about making the horns your thing is that you’ll never forget them at home. I suppose in David’s case the headband would also count. And the glasses. Half of Richie’s career was built on accessories: pirate clothing, silly hats, odd footwear, strange belt flair, elaborate configurations of facial hair, an accent that may or may not be entirely fake, etc. We all know the look can only take you so far, but Richie’s uncanny ability to invent and pull off the wackiest moves took him the rest of the way.