In 1981 - just three years after Titus Dittmann imported the first skateboards from the USA - Helge Tscharn began documenting the beginnings of German skateboarding history with his camera. A part of the scene himself, Tscharn captured every phase of German skateboarding in his own distinctive way: he captured the raw beginnings of the 1980s, strongly influenced by the punk rock movement, in grainy black and white shots, while hip-hop and 90s streetwear shine in candy colours. When the fisheye was used, Tscharn was so close to the action that his lens was occasionally hit by flying boards. He not only saw talents come and go, but also the rise of stars in the scene - and not infrequently their tragic fall.

Tscharn was always there and always in the thick of it, accompanying the indie and emo wave of the 2000s, the DIY of the 2010s and, of course, the present, which absorbs and reinterprets all these influences. His recordings, now spanning over 40 years, breathe the sweat and blood of the riders from every grain and appear like time capsules with an unmistakable feel for the moment.

With portraits of: Lance Mountain, Jim Greco, Sonic Youth, Pantera, Motorhead, Marc Gonzales, Tom Penny, Prodigy, Aphex Twin and many more