R.I.P. Jake Phelps
Thrasher and Independent Trucks were both founded by iconoclast Fausto Vitello. Thrasher has maintained its independent and iconoclastic status through the years by bringing in unique visionaries like Jake Phelps, who remained committed to Thrasher’s more hardcore perspective, despite the mainstreaming of skateboarding and various pressures to be more palatable to corporate America. I’m very sad to hear that Jake passed away yesterday. Even though I didn’t know him well, I know he was 100% committed to representing skateboard culture the way I’d like to see it represented. – Shepard