Thrasher was started by Fausto Vitello and Eric Swenson in the early 1980's, as a means of marketing their new and upcoming Independent truck company; meeting in the army, they became instant friends over a love of motorcycles.   Jake Phelps, a rough and tumble kid from SF, started from the bottom, and worked his way up within Thrasher, becoming editor in cheif... without ever having an email set up, or even having a voicemail. Phelps came to embody the magazine and what it stood for, and some even say, skateboarding as a whole. He took it upon himself to discern who was in and out, and was known for banning people from the mag who he didn't like.   Under the guidance of Mike Burnett and Jake, Thrasher grew to become the bible and holy document of skateboarding. Under the magazine grew a variety of renown events and contests, such as the coveted Skater of the Year award, King of the Road, and Hall of Meat. These events are cornerstone within today's skateboarding industry.

Watch the episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgD5EGDlyBw