The Legend of Tom Penny | Retro Rippers

Tom Penny has a well-earned cult status in skateboarding. He came to the US in the mid 90s and basically upended the pro skateboarding world with his unbelievable tricks, and his ultra casual, sleepy style. Let's take a look at the remarkable career of Tom Penny.
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Early Riser Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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"Level Up" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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Lewis and Dekalb Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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"Pamgaea" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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Four, Floss, Five, Six by Blue Ducks is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 International License.

[@christopherstockhaus9596]

In 1998, Tom Penny visited me in my bedroom just before I was going to sleep, he gave me a kiss on the check and whispered into my ear, "no one will ever believe you." before sneaking off into the night, never to be seen again.

[@Emvy11]

I interrupted my mid term studies to like this comment and leave this one.

[@herrreinsch]

one of the best comment I've read this year. :P👍

[@Nirvezz]

I️ was driving home from the taco shop.. and laughed hard imagining this comment

[@cecilevans9247]

I bet he switch frontside flipped out your window.

[@christopherstockhaus9596]

shhhhh....

[@TheGhostOfFredZeppelin]

He's a legend in every sense of the word. I remember running into him at some random corner store in Barcelona back in like 2008 and he just gave me this little acknowledging nod when he saw me carrying my skateboard, one of the best moments of my life right there lol!

[@_re1oad302]

Fred Zeppelin nice my dude 👉😉👉

[@GasGotti]

Sweet story bro I remember he was at a board signing at “water brothers surf and skate” (which might be the most famous east coast shop located in Newport RI). It was 96-7 I was about 8-9 yrs old and he was so annoyed with all the fans lol. I never got my autograph

[@K31R616]

@@GasGotti - probably longing for a smoke.

[@sarkon3744]

Didnt want to like this as it was at 420 I'd retract my like if you would like. Just thought the comment deserved a like!

[@janoski09]

same thing happened to me with Arto Sari, in Barcelona, he was fat and rocking a captain's hat... not as epic as yours..

[@zechrenteria8025]

I skated in a demo with Tom Penny in Mission Viejo CA. Muska, Templeton, and Jesse Paez were there too. They had a huge pyramid box. I could not ollie over it. Jesse Paez did ollie it. Everyone barely could. Then Penny did a kickflip over it. Then he did a switch kickflip over it, then a regular frontside flip, and ended it with a switch frontside flip. I didn't even skate, I was just amazed with his flow. It was like 90 degrees and he had pants, hoodie, headphones, and a backpack on. He was in another world.

[@im.weasel]

He is the most Core skater that has ever lived. He was all about his skating and nothing more. He didn't care what others thought.

[@saxenas]

The literal complete opposite of an influencer skater. Wish that influencer shit never started.

[@a7xSkateboarding]

@@saxenas Yes, and yet he's one of the people that've had the most influence on skateboarding. Gotta love the irony My point? Be true to yourself and don't be a kook!

[@saxenas]

@@a7xSkateboarding yeah the clout chasing for ego gratification is cringe although i do understand the desire to chase it. Everyone wants to be somebody. Tom was like a monk in that sense.

[@OskarBravo]

In his prime, Tom Penny was an absolute fucking force of nature.

[@kjdacod]

Someone has to Upload this old TSA video.. Thats just ridioulos. .

[@basicbraindead347]

I miss old flip team. Penny, Saari, Rowley, etc.

[@strictlybusiness1679]

sk8 od I miss the 2000 es' team

[@djsubliminalreeve]

yeah i started skating back in 1999 and there team was sick as fuck

[@asmahism]

I think early mid 2000’s flip was the most gnarly team.

[@strictlybusiness1679]

Kyle Henderson don't forget the 2002 adio team. One Step Beyond was sick.

[@neverwoner]

leipä od golden era

[@STREETCOFFEESkate]

He's actually been living in Bordeaux, France for quite some time now, I skate with him at my local park and run into him at some skate related events, he's still rocking boots and baggy clothes. He doesn't skate as much unfortunately but still a really nice and down to earth guy to this day !

[@josephlozano2970]

STREET COFFEE 🇫🇷 How is it that EU citizens can travel, live, and work over borders? Ignorant American here.

[@STREETCOFFEESkate]

if you're a EU citizen it's pretty easy to live and work anywhere in europe, that's one of the reason it was created, it feels like there's no real borders and as long as you have your ID you can travel anywhere here without needing a passport or a visa

[@salvadorreyes328]

Joseph Lozano You should head over to Europe, then become a typical apologetic American.

[@lllHABITATlll]

Salvador Reyes yeet

[@grosgraslarge]

Est ce qu'il parle français couramment ? Je l'ai vu sur Paris ya 2 mois lors d'une demo de supra et j'osais pas trop l'approchais je savais pas trop quoi dire en anglais mais après toutes ces années (campagne + bordeaux) peut être que j'aurais pu lui parler en français ...

[@notorioustampaton]

2005 I saw Tom Penny pissing in a bush at the skate park. That's my Tom Penny story.

[@videowatcher83]

Best story ever! Video? Post it!

[@alienation5008]

Dude Tom is the best dude ever. I met him at Southbank, London a couple of years ago, he was the first one to come up to me as I was speaking to my friend who I found out was one of his best friends and said :'Hi my name is Tom, nice to meet you'. Then we filmed a couple of tricks with him, some chilling stuff, then he fronside flipped the stairs like second or third go, and he did it twice in a row as well. He is a legend, a living legend for sure, and I think no one should say a bad word of him until they meet him properly!!!! An inspiration and a true breath of life for skating

[@SH19922x]

No ya didn't dude, stop lying

[@orirbjrk5573]

S H it’s pretty likely this is legit, he’s known to do random stuff like that.

[@travishart6420]

mans humble

[@GasGotti]

It’s crazy how Tom Penny is everywhere and nowhere. Only skater that can be in 17 parts of the world at once.

[@Stash_box]

Always love Tom Penny....look the dude is 40 anything he puts out at this point is just frosting on one of the longest and distinguished Skateboarding careers ever seen.

[@Spectalys]

Tom Penny is a legend, he was living in my town in France, near year 2000, I saw him some times and I bought his wheels, I was 16/17 and it was like riding God's wheels :) . He was discreet and seemed humble. I hope he's alright today

[@MUFFINHEAD1985]

which town in Bordeaux dude?

[@RasKitchen]

I love that Etnies Hi 5 part so much.....I remember you can really hear Tom catch the board on all the tricks over that handrail...just mind blowing

[@BillBondsHasAPosse]

I had a Missing: TOM PENNY Milk Carton T-shirt. On the back it said “ have you seen me.”

[@illuminatiscotty5461]

Id kill for that shirt now

[@HeadNtheClouds]

Have you seen Animal Chen?

[@varialheelz]

Tom Shot his sidewalk cover at my yard in london about 5 years ago - the tre flip on the mini with Lance mountain and rune gliffberg on the couch next to him.. Dude is the most humble, mellow and consistent skate rat to ever live. He knocked out about 20 perfect treflips in a row back to back, ponced a spliff off me, signed a couple boards for the house and then bounced. It was while he was filming for Albion. No matter what people think, Toms skating hasnt slacked even a bit, hes still just as sick as hes ever been, he just does less big stuff and he never warms up lol. Some of his recent footy is kinda sketchy but trust me, when hes in the zone its still magical and dudes almost 40 now lol Hes also got a kid now

[@chrismechan2375]

Got that mag cover and the deck he was riding in it. sick spot

[@ryanleone5805]

I would love to see a Ghetto Child documentary... three parallel stories: Penny, Muska, Sheffey... I think it would be incredibly interesting to show how these legends intersected. The best era in skating --90s to early 2000s - was so personality and style-based.... larger than life characters that inspired us to express ourselves. From music to fashion, skateboarding was my big brother.

[@Onlymeeee007]

One of a few people I have idolized in my 37 years.

[@sammyread1]

Was chilling at Southbank Centre today having a drink with my bro and thought I’d spotted him chilling on the side. Eventually went up and just got chatting to him and his mates. So friendly, laid back and humble....said Southbank was his favourite spot in the world. Have never been in such awe talking to anyone before. More so for the fact he could of been anyone...no celebrity persona to him what so ever. Wasn’t even wearing skate shoes. Just wanted to chill with his mates. True legend.

[@sk8rMike360]

I was at that party when the lights went off. Completely accurate. Absolutely insane listening to him skating and grinding in total darkness

[@lourdmaranon8298]

i dont know rick looks fake to me

[@Theswitchy1]

No tf you weren't

[@lourdmaranon8298]

u sound like a complete poser @Mike Kearney

[@SH19922x]

Bullshit, i was there too and i didnt see you there !

[@robolinoschmidt8676]

10 years ago he was in Germany and borrowed weed from me.. He promised I would get it back... I'm still waiting...

[@steventchorz5101]

roboliño schmidt elaborate homie!!! Give me details PLEASE!!!

[@robolinoschmidt8676]

+Steven Tchorz he was at a skatepark and asked us for a lighter first... Later he went out of weed and we gave him some... He mumbled something like "I'll give you some later.."... The whole day he was totally friendly and he really loves his fans..but he also was like a ghost that day.. He skated as if he was alone in the whole park. Everytime he skated all the other skaters stopped skating and you could see grown ass men watching penny skate and they all had the face expression of a 12 year old kid seeing someone treflipping for the first time in their life... That was a mad crazy day. He signed my shirt (which my mom later threw away bc it had holes in it)

[@fotisstylos6983]

i think he forget it ....he signed on your shirt...and how will one gently get some weed.....like this way....remember the day,,,and fuck the weed.......he owns you..be so stypid with this comment...dont do drugs was the meaning..only weed....so dont wait....:)

[@steventchorz5101]

fotis stylos holy shit dude hahaha what fuckin language do you speak?!

[@fotisstylos6983]

greek..are you speAKING any other languange..?

[@superduperman7202]

I skated around and about with him at Radlands. We used to try and outdo each other with late shove its and huge one foot ollies. The guy was quiet and very solid. He was never there for long and he would never seem to session on a section....Just skate around then disappear. I love that he still dresses like a later 90's skater. Baggy jeans rule.

[@SH19922x]

Yeah i remember when you were evenly matched with the worlds best skater. Fuck sake

[@superduperman7202]

@@SH19922x Been a while....... but lets be real. I was a little more well travelled that Tom at the time. I skated with curtis mccann back when he was with powell peralta. I had a lot of influences that weren't fat kids on the corner of your street. Some of us were really good but didn't get signed up by the companies looking around at the time. You think Tom Penny just appeared? You think he was always the best? He was just another kid in baggy shit when we met.

[@xfiazc07]

I saw Tom Penny digging tunnels in one of my minecraft worlds back on xbox 360.

[@jackywhipet]

I skated Wakefield while he was skating,,he never fell or I never saw him fall.... Did 30 tricks with no bails. Freak of genius

[@seanissomething]

I think the biggest impact that Tom had on skateboarding was that, while he never invented a single trick, he pretty much singlehandedly (albeit unintentionally) invented the concept of STYLE. Before Tom, it pretty much didn't matter HOW you did a trick. You could mob your flips as bad as you want, bounce them off the ground, rolling super slow, whatever, and nobody cared. Along comes Tom, popping tricks super hard, catching them super high, rolling away effortlessly, skating with speed, grace, power, just making it look GOOD, man. Would there have been a Chad Muska as we know him, or any of the other subsequent "style gurus" without Tom Penny? I doubt it.

[@loveulez]

Utter bollocks

[@loveulez]

Imagine saying that or liking it, shame on you idiots

[@loveulez]

Paging Stacy Peralta, Tony Alva, Cab, TG, Chris Miller, Gonz, Lee, Hensley - Tom Penny invented style. You idiots

[@stephenschwake524]

Somebody better tell Chris Miller and Christian Hosoi...

[@hover_roller_balance_boards]

Tom has invented tricks or done nbd at spots. For sure his switch front foot impossible on the pyramid was nbd for that trick on a hip. When have you seen that since it prior? Hard af I guess as far as a flip or ledge trick never done than no. I don’t think it matters with his style and he took tricks to bigger levels never done so he innovated in other ways

[@brute1991]

I'm from the uk and tom is what i think uk skating should be about, no egos just skating with friends and having a good time doing what you enjoy.

[@minirampbonden7927]

brute91 it's not "uk skating" it just skating

[@brute1991]

MR OG DOGSHIT sorry

[@minirampbonden7927]

brute91 its okay bro

[@TheClassicWorld]

Well, he is British [UK]. So, I guess that's what he means, but, yes, you are correct, this is what skating should be about, regardless of where you are in the world.

[@SkateSka]

I lived in England for three years. I'm east European. Sure, I wasn't greatly received everywhere in society but the skaters were real. As a bystander they seem to take way less jabs at each other (often disguised as what you call banter, which sometimes IS just banter, but eh, English culture) than construction people, retail people or whoever else I hung out with. Not to pat us all on the back here, but skaters seem to just be like that. Even in Bulgaria where people don't bother with manners nearly as much skaters get along, I remember a rock/rap division when I was a kid, but even that quickly went away. Cheers to a lifetime of getting along!

[@MattGreerMusic]

That 411 # 11 part was pretty much my guiding design for every bit of skating I did. I was nowhere near his level but I strived for clean, cruising lines like that. I much preferred to go for the tricks I could land cleanly than the complex ones that ended up sketch. I just never wanted to break my pace. That was rule 1. Tom Penny pretty much instilled that in me.

[@PhilLayshioh]

Great point that I think is lost on a lot of skaters today.

[@borys444]

We used to smoke weed in the woods after watching the flip guys kill it in 411vm vol. 27...we never got around to the actual skating cause we just didn't flow like the guys in the videos so we went back in the woods and smoked some more. The 90's were the best..

[@SONOFABITCH]

Best poser story I've ever heard!

[@Residual.Selfimage]

thats some loser shit

[@Vscustomprinting]

Kick flip to bogart...

[@daltonmorgan6464]

I blazed with this guy and Chad Muska at Huntington beach skatepark ala 1997. I swear I will never forget! It's like I kicked it with the Beatles or Elvis Presley in their prime. He was the BEST!It's like he didn't notice he was the best skater of all time. His style and non nonchalant way of frontside flipping over 15 stair rails. Nobody did that before him....he was the first to make skating like that common

[@solidvisualyt]

You missed a WHOLE era tom lived here in Argentina with his wife and son, we didnt know till one saturday skating in correo central spot, the dude started tre fliping and we all noticed and stood in shock and awe to see such misthical prescence, i dont know what it is, but he has some sort of vibe that gets you stoked to even see him push!

[@slipperygimp1953]

Tom Penny is a British national treasure, one of the few people that makes me proud to be British

[@patrickbyrne5070]

True

[@CroulantRoulant]

Pretty good summary for the young generation I'd say. Here's my personal sighting: at the first Lausanne contest in 96 (I think). He got fourth after Koston, Chris Senn and other heayweights but what struck me is that 1, he was drinking beer (a lot....) during the contest and 2, he never warmed up. Like he would sit on his board for 45 minutes, get up when he was called and just do his run and rip the course, with no warm-up whatsoever. Also him and another pro (Kareem maybe ? I’m not sure) did a sort of hippie jump over the car that was on the course, with the board flying through both windows. The other pro ate shit a few times but Penny landed it like perfect the firt time he decided to commit. A few years later I saw him again at a demo in Paris (Glissexpo) and it was pretty much the same show all over again. Living legend for sure.

[@varialheelz]

It was Tyrone Olsen, not Kareem

[@CroulantRoulant]

yeah that's it! I wasnt sure.

[@ms-iz9ye]

CroulantRoulant you saw that car hippie jump in person.. damn man that’s awesome

[@OldSchoolVibes1978]

Wish I had been there, but have the Freak Brothers board he was skating in Lausanne on my wall here so all is good 😁

[@patrickbyrne5070]

Tom! You’ve been skating with the lights off again! “Huh? Oh I can roll a spliff now”

[@CharlieZelenoff]

Tom was the BEST skater to EVER pick up board. Period.

[@rodgermurphy5721]

I met him...smoked weed with him at Huntington skate park ala 1997. I swear I'll never forget. Like I blazed with Elvis in his prime

[@sean_69]

Joint or blunt?

[@rodgermurphy5721]

@@sean_69 metal pipe if I remember right. It was the 90's. Muska was there too

[@sean_69]

@@rodgermurphy5721 god damn that’s awesome! Wonder if those guys still smoke lol

[@steveperry7799]

Tom IS the best skater of all time! Period.

[@ufotofu9]

I'm surprised you didn't tell the story that Bam tells about Tom. They're at a contest somewhere and they were walking around outside and Tom was wearing his signature Timberlands and baggy pants. They saw some kid skating near an 8 stair on this rickety Walmart board that was falling apart under the weight of a little kid who couldn't even skate. Tom asked to borrow the board. Ran up the stairs, rolled up and did a frontside flip over the rail down the eight stair. First try. On a Walmart board. In Timberlands. I started skating in the mid-nineties and Tom Penny was definitely one of my favorite people to watch. This was when him and his Cheech and Chong board were the epitome of "cool" in skating. He was never really my favorite, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't dig on his style a lot. When I watch his videos today, especially his older ones when he was still a kid living in England, it almost feels as though he's incapable of falling off the board. It's like he's magnetically linked with the board. That Vert though! I knew that he was a good transition skater, but I had no idea he could skate vert like that. Someone who has an image as a hip-hop street skater who can skate vert as well is crazy. Something you would never see you today.

[@clevelandsmashclub896]

It was a kickflip, and not a Walmart board but just some piece of shit board. Good story though.

[@TheClassicWorld]

I just heard that from Bam, also. I think Bam said that Tom was one of the best skaters he had ever seen. Crazy.

[@bobbystax6177]

It was the 10 stair rail in front of the long beach convention center

[@wnerko7484]

how you said a magnetic bond with the board.the silver surfer had a psycic link with his board.neat.that shoulda been his nick name

[@SH19922x]

Obvs that story is a lie buddy boy, if the walmart board was failing under the weight of the little kid then there's no way he done a frontside dragonfire 1080 twist on it okay? Now go back to sleep and stop fuckin everyone around.

[@pre-packaged_9692]

He's one of those magic people. Probly gets mad REM sleep

[@Residual.Selfimage]

hahah yes. I am the opposite. Because i get little to no REM sleep. Wish I was one of them REM people

[@indigobeatz1526]

There is things u can take to achieve that

[@WolfWould]

It's like he's never worried about bailing, he's got that confidence where his mind is thinking about how to bring it to the roll so easily. That's why I always liked his style

[@peazeralus]

Penny at his worst is still better than 75% historically. I've been watching him since 94. It's still hard to comprehend the level of natural fluidity in everything he does.

[@scroob72]

I'm 51 and Mike V. and Tom Penny are my all time favorite skaters. Mostly because they could turn any obstacle into a skate spot. I would be in the passenger seat of my moms car just staring at everything we passed thinking, I could do this or that on that on the side of the road. Tom is a legend because he's the epitome of what skateboarding is supposed to be. Rip to the fullest, have fun and who cares what anyone thinks. It's just you and your bros having the best time...on a side note I saw Tom and Steve Olsen do a demo in Corona, CA and it was the first time I saw them both in person. I've seen a ton of demos in my life all the way from John Lucero and Steve Rocco to the RB team and that Ghetto Child demo sticks out in my mind the most. Straight legends.

[@RoadRallyLife]

I thought I knew Tom Penny over the course of the 20 years that I've been skating, this video showed me how much I didn't know about him and also it heightens the legend.

[@comradenz1927]

Tom Penny is the perfect description of skateboarding

[@watenallace663]

He's a skater above everything else

[@playy4110]

My homie told me that when he came to Lausanne switzerland at this spot, he bought like 50 kinder egg surprises and just chilled at the spot ahahah

[@strictlybusiness1679]

Tom Penny is a legend

[@nemsthefirst]

Yes! Love that you did a video on Penny. By far my favorite pro of all time. Thanks RadRat!

[@paulnathanielsmith]

I am 37 and still have dreams of skateboarding. I use to skate 4-8 hours almost every day. Some memories are more charishable without a camera in your face 24/7

[@Mistertbones]

Tom Penny is a legend, period. I call the Switch Frontside Flip the Tom Penny Flip, because he did that move so flawlessly.

[@connormccaughtrie3560]

Brilliant video! I've never appreciated his skating much in the past but as I keep trying to progress and everything's so hard it's more Impressive just how casual his style is.

[@astra0329]

Thank you for this video I'm in my 30s and just getting back into skating Tom penny was my idol

[@Lebowski53]

I’m 40 years old now and a boring lawyer. Used to love skating when I was young. Saw Tom Penny at Harrow Skate Park, before he blew up at Radlands. He was dropping in on the flat bank and popping Nollie Heelflips over the fun box.

[@skatesauce]

You forgot about his part in the Skate Sauce video in 2011/2012! I met Tom in Barcelona in 2011 and he hadn't been skating for some time because of some hard times since some sponsors were taking advantage of Toms humbleness. Anyways we filmed most of the part in 1 day. Then had sangria on a boat just like he said we would if we got a trick that day. He loves skateboarding and when you're out skating with him it always turns into a magical day. Off the board as well. He may look a bit stiff in recent footy because he doesn't stretch and is 40 but he wouldn't skate for weeks or months and sometimes film those tricks. But if you look on our instagram we filmed some tricks with him recently in Copenhagen and since he had been skating a lot you could see that old Tom style creeping back in.

[@OldSchoolVibes1978]

You did a great job with that section. Was great to get another sick section from Tom at that point in his career. I picked up one of the board he's skating in your video last week. Now have two he skated there. I'll post on Instagram soon and tag you!

[@bovedli]

Thank u so much RadRat! Tom Penny is by far my favorite skater! Such a bummer I couldn’t meet him in person... yet. nice video!

[@BolBoy123]

That one about the lights going out is great

[@dez25487]

Saw him yesterday at MACBA, Barcelona. Same baggy clothes, boots and beanie hat as mentioned before. 40 years old but nothing has changed. Legend!

[@shookstylez]

I remember Tom Penny at a flip demo in Rotterdam blaak. The old skatepark where he did this massive giant kickflip backside shifty over a funbox over a rail to another ramp. It was insane to see. Nobody did that. We skated that park everyday and we saw nobody doing that trick.

[@AlvarezAzel]

So glad you finally covered Tom Penny, this guy was my idol through the early years of me skating, even more so as I was also born and raised in Dorset UK, Tom's mother even had a cake shop in the town I lived in. Never had the chance to meet Tom sadly, but have met Alex Moul once. Would be great if you could cover Geoff Rowley sometime, Geoff is imo is the best skater on earth.

[@ryanboshell6124]

Thank you so much for this episode. Bumped into him and Ben Grove (another uk legend) in Barcelona. Bought him a Strongbow in Temple bar and that was that. Legend.

[@10DollarProductions]

Oh my god that frontside flip over the pool hip is unbelievably smooth

[@skatechatham]

I was at Radlands in August 1993 and saw him skate at the contest. In the practice he blasted a kickflip fakie over the coping on a quarter and I could see all the american pros in awe. I'm actually standing in the group of people near the door at 1:05, i have a bunch of pictures from that contest including Tom's front board in the clip (he did it a bunch), and Jeremy Wray was there backside 180'ing the pyramid to flat among other people. The contest was in one of the first 411 videos. I'll dig out the pics and put them on my instagram.

[@benxo]

thats sick, would love those pictures!

[@jamalydude]

Instagram link pls

[@Falconhunter276]

RIP Radlands

[@birddangler3697]

Speaking of stylish people who didn't care if it was on film or not, let's see a Julien Stranger episode

[@Rufusdos]

Hell yeah!

[@dannyblitz2122]

Or Alan Peterson

[@genesung5589]

The Search for Animal Chin. Spoiler... Chin is actually Tom Penny not an old Chinese guy. IMO, Tom is the most naturally gifted skater ever. I remember when High Five came out, it was just so incredible. Never seen anyone skate so casual. Mark Johnson who is one of my favorite skaters of all time had a part in High Five, but the one everyone remember is Tom's which I watched like 300 times. I kind of like how he just faded into obscurity. Animal Chin lives! Random sightings world wide.

[@stinkycheeseman1723]

The real f/s flip king. Style king. Just...king.

[@andrewfranklin2436]

This KZbin channel is so gnarly to all of us old skate heads! Thanks for the videos and keep em coming!

[@peterdwyer6118]

90s skating man. Baggy trousers and tiny wheels. Good times.

[@drewwidney8153]

respect this dude who did the video. at first i was like, "blah, I'm gonna suffer through some nerd talking this whole time" and by the end I have the utmost respect for how he put this video together. Did a great job educating me on the history of Penny and really emphasized the story telling that is just a great aspect of this sport. loved how he showed some of his own home videos. new follower here and very impressed.

[@spht9ng]

yeah he can rip surprisingly well

[@therealdevillion]

That's Sir Tom Penny. 👑

[@stephenTcartwright]

Tom Penny kickflipping through a car blew my mind back in the 90's. The board goes through the car and he goes over the top and it was perfect!

[@autentyk5735]

It wasn`t a flip. It was a straight hippy jump of sorts.

[@Akronstudent]

finally a video about my favourite skater

[@falcosk8]

So hyped on this guy's skating! Glad to have been around to see all this.

[@vinceclorto66]

that session at the bank with the chain... it's just my all time favourite skate part. That's what made me realize landing a trick was a thing, and landing it with style was another! And man that style he had... never seen anything like that before or after!

[@acetate909]

Those pants! Those pants! Ah, the early 90s were gnarly in so many ways.

[@shai4129]

i feel like the reason tom's "signature style" is starting to fade is probably more due to him getting older and his body getting more rigid. even then i can still that it's tom skating.

[@Jbantock]

I was skating at the pioneer in st.Albans once and Penny and his crew turned up. A load of new ramps had been built and one of them was a tiny vert quarter pipe probably less han 3 feet high, it was like it had been built as a joke with leftover wood. It was awkward to skate and small, not worth bothering with, but Penny was hitting it with all kinds of tricks. It seemed like it was the only ramp he saw as a challenge.

[@samuelbussieres8961]

thanx alot for making that video my friend . keep documentating the way you do, its inspiring

[@Tricklarock]

I met him in PB. Another story, next day he went and got a sandwich at the bldg on the corner of Felspar & Mission Blvd. It has a long 4-6 set and a wall parallel with the sidewalk. Switch fs flip with the sandwich, no tries, just did it as casually as we push... There's a rail on the wall now.

[@EsotericOccultist]

We need a definitive interview with him.

[@saxenas]

Hes got the deepest voice too its sick

[@georgegividen]

Man I hope the skate community at large knows just how much of an asset you are to them. Keep doing what your doing man.

[@justice2dope993]

Rob didn't even attempt that bank,he pulled up and said you got this tom.😂😂😂😂😂

[@mrchrisadams43]

Penny's movement captured the 90s zeitgeist. We were innovative, inebriated, casual, and.....ripping.

[@HmmmmNiceBike]

This is one of your best videos yet! Very well put together :)

[@ochochang338]

That school down hill line was dope. He did it off one push. Looks hella fast .

[@pixiponpon]

Definitely one of the most steezy skaters around back in the day and he was always my favourite skater to get inspired by for that reason. I met him a total of 3 times... once at the Supra demo in Edinburgh at Saughton skatepark (he wasn't skating that day sadly) and then twice at MACBA in Barcelona where I had a good chat with him, got a pic and then filmed a line he was doing with my phone camera which I still have to this day and have never seen anywhere else... fakie tre on the flat and then switch nosegrind 360 shuv on the long ledge. It took him quite a few tries to make the last trick but when he made it, it was dope. That was an awesome moment in my skateboarding life haha! ✌😊

[@Ant-lw5xn]

Thanks for making this video man! Tom Penny is the reason I would continue to skate for years. I would watch his eS Menikmati part then go skate right afterwards and he influenced my style in every trick.

[@robertmccann6861]

amazing episode. love the retro ripper videos, keep em coming!

[@edgemasterrlol]

How in hell did I NEVER heard about him until now lol. He appears to be quite a remarkable skater!! Great vid

[@sk8love]

Around 2005, a friend told me that one of his mates had seen Tom Penny staring down to a light on the floor (probably five years ago or so, so around 2000 I'd say, maybe prior to that) - I think it was in a skatepark that had glass lights around. That's probably something one would do under the influence of mushrooms ahah :D

[@jasondashney]

You mentioned that he didn't push during the line at that downhill school. Go there and just do 3 straight ollies and turn that corner. Hurts, doesn't it? Watch the distance he clears on that switch 180. Until you skate that spot, you'll never understand how nuts that line was. Tom also is the only skater I know of who shot 2 full page ad sequences in the same line (Oceanside high switch board the 12 and flip off the bump after the rail).

[@samimoring1235]

Jason Dashney I sk8d all over north county, sd, schools, parks etc I tried numerous times to copy pennys line..ive done it but sloppy compared to toms. I personally like bs 180s @ earls

[@jasondashney]

Granted I haven't skated that school since about 1997 but I remember absolutely flying, and turning that corner had me right on the edge of wiping out and it scared the crap out of me. You're dead right that sometimes we can even do the same tricks as Tom, but they sure don't look like that. I guess that's why we aren't absolute legends, haha.

[@talktal]

i was floored when i saw that line back in the day having already skate there. you cant see how steep the down hills are due to the fish eye. you fly there. and if you see how much speed he starts with before the first switch flip, it makes the entire line that much crazy. i know kasper did a similar line hitting everything, but didnt have the style of tom's

[@jasondashney]

The only way to get any sort of context is to freeze frame where you can see the crack he clears and then compare that to where he starts. It's insane. You've been there so you know how damn far that really is.

[@nwp4life]

I was going to post the same thing. I actually don’t think anyone could do the line he did. And he actually started with speed around the corner. So nuts. I got speed wobbles just dropping in from the top.

[@chilledtorsion]

i was skating in Bath (uk) skatepark in the late 90s and i was resting, just having a drink and Tom Penny was skating there alone. He just rolled up and ask if he could have some of my drink. He was really cool and humble. I saw him do the gnarliest late shove-it that day off a little ramp. He went so fucking high and the shove-it was so fucking late still dont get how he did it. He was basically landing his ollie as he did the shove. Bonkers.

[@kevind2200]

Seriously quality video Rad, thank you.

[@Doomreb]

It's hard turning something Blue that he turned Red.

[@pandahammonds9590]

Doomreb 😂😂😂

[@bristlypioneer]

I remember him turning up at Southbank in London in the midst of the hype of him "missing". On his own again, although the whole Slam City and Southbank crew were around. Nailed a load of nollie flips down the seven and 360 flips as casual as you like, just taking part in the session. Then tragically snapped his board and disappeared off to get a replacement from Slam. He just breezed in, stole the limelight and breezed out again.

[@amixofeverything]

Muska and Penny were what got me into skating as a kid. All the older, cool kids would rock Shorty's and Penny's stuff, get high, and we thought they were the coolest.

[@TruthSpeaker3]

Great to walk down Penny lane.. for sure the greatest legend/mystery skateboardings seen. I bet he would be considered somewhere along “the spectrum” of sorts- because it’s impossible otherwise to have that little of ego and be THAT good!!! All respect to the man. And I wish him well in the next 40 years too. Thanks 🙏🏽

[@talktal]

i saw him all the time at demos and the hb park during his prime. the legends are true. all of them

[@adrianjones142]

Great video man, really thoughtful and well put together.

[@nakedAwing]

Wow! Best Retro Rippers yet! Great work Rad Rat

[@alexanderjones1739]

Great video! As someone who came up skateboarding in the late nineties and early 2000's, I always wondered what happened to Tom.

[@dvs2751]

The History of NEW DEAL SKATEBOARDS would be so sick!!!!

[@fotisstylos6983]

my first deck....red with the black new deal letters..:)

[@iamnotanumber100]

dvs2751 100% that would sick, I remember when useless wooden toys came out, it blew our minds.

[@Andrew-rw6xv]

dvs2751 yes!

[@yamasultani8481]

All this back story is amazing keep it up rad rat

[@ErikJohnsonFMA]

this video was way more interesting than I was expecting it to be. nice work.