Mike V Is Everywhere.

Here we go with another installment of Mike V Is Everywhere! Mike is currently in Hawaii for a week with the Element Team to help judge a local contest with Elemental Awarness, do an autograph signing, and of course get some skating in. A bit of coverage from the trip is already hitting the internet and first up is a grip of photos from the signing at the Element Store in Waikiki.



Next up… Element filmer, Ricki The Dude has some photos posted on his blog from the Elemental Awareness contest as well as the boys on a swimming mission. CLICK HERE to check ‘em out.



Late last night I was making my daily rounds through out this massive world wide web and ended up on Skateboarder Magazine’s website and noticed they have archived a lot of their past monthly articles. If you missed these when they were originally in the mag, here ya go…

First up is Mike’s Skate Anatomy article…



Here is the full 15 Things You Didn’t Know About Mike Vallely article.



And last but not least here is the recent Memory Screened article.



Spot Mike V somewhere? Let us know! Send contributions to:

mikevallelyonline@yahoo.com

Mike V Forever.

Vernon Courtland Johnson, the graphic artist for Powell Peralta in the 70s and 80s has been responsible for the most iconic and legendary skateboard graphics of all time for the greatest skateboarders of all time. In 1988 VCJ knocked it out of the park when he created Mike V’s debut pro model graphics… the Mike Vallely Powell Peralta Elephant board.

This timeless graphic has come to mean a lot to many people over the years. Some people have even made these graphics apart of them forever and have tattoo’d the image onto their bodies. Below are just 13 examples, including Mike V’s. Click on the image for a larger view.

Have a Mike V, Mike V inspired or a Revolution Mother tattoo? If so, we would like to feature it right here on www.mikevallely.com for future blog entries. Just send your name, photos of the tattoo, where you’re from and a story on why you got the tattoo etc to:

mikevallelyonline@yahoo.com

Mike V Forever.

The newest Mike V inspired tattoo submission comes from Nick B. Here are a few choice words from Nick and a photo of Mike and Nick’s Powell Peralta Elephant tattoos side by side when they met on the Warped Tour in 2007…

“One of the greatest moments of my life was meeting one of my heroes… You. Thanks Mike.”

-Nick B.



Have a Mike V, Mike V inspired or a Revolution Mother tattoo? If so, we would like to feature it right here on www.mikevallely.com for future blog entries. Just send your name, photos of the tattoo, where you’re from and a story on why you got the tattoo etc to:

mikevallelyonline@yahoo.com

Mike V Forever.

Another Mike V inspired tattoo popped into our email inbox today. Here is Mark Carroll from Canada’s words and photos of his tattoo of Mike’s first ever pro model graphics… the classic Powell Peralta Elephant graphics by VCJ.

First & foremost, above all else, I AM A SKATEBOARDER.

More than race, religion, politics, or orientation, I define myself as a SKATEBOARDER. The word itself means something different to each of us. To me, it’s artistic, rebellious, progressive, challenging, & rewarding. It can be pure debaucherous fun, or focused meditation. It envokes passion, style, and freedom. The tattoos on my arms are all past skateboard graphics, as an homage to skateboarding and what has given me. These images have always been there with me, along the road, all of these years on my board, and they will now stay with me, deep in my skin, right there next to skateboarding itself.

To me, Mike Vallely embodies all of these characteristics that I hold in high regard. Passion, pride, intensity, drive, focus, and aggression, and that is why I wear my Vallely Elephant so proudly. Keep being you Mike, as I know you will.

-Mark Carroll










Have a Mike V, Mike V inspired or a Revolution Mother tattoo? If so, we would like to feature it right here on www.mikevallely.com for future blog entries. Just send your name, photos of the tattoo, where you’re from and a story on why you got the tattoo etc to:

mikevallelyonline@yahoo.com

Mike V Forever.

Here is the latest submission of a Mike V Inspired tattoo that has been sent our way. Here is Tate from Jackson, MS words on the origin of the tattoo and a picture to accompany it…

My grandfather was a mechanic, an engineer and a killer racecar driver in the 50s and 60s. He and his brother built their own cars and were some of the pioneers of men in their time who had 9-5 jobs during the week but raced on the weekends. It reminds me of the way skaters build and nourish their own scene and create their own fun.

Growing up without a father, I looked up to my grandfather as a male role model. My tat is dedicated to his racecar number, 99. When he died when I was 11, I think skateboarding was there to save me and direct me. My heroes became skaters I looked up to, the ones who ripped the hardest, the original ones, the artists, the positive ones… all the personal aspects I strived to have. The bolts at the bottom are inspired by Mike’s bolt forearm tattoos.

-Tate



Have a Mike V, Mike V inspired or a Revolution Mother tattoo? If so, we would like to feature it right here on www.mikevallely.com for future blog entries. Just send your name, photos of the tattoo, where you’re from and a story on why you got the tattoo etc to:

mikevallelyonline@yahoo.com

Mike V Forever.

Another Mike V inspired tattoo has been sent our way. Here are Ian Saxton’s words and a photo of his Mike V inspired tattoo…

So, a couple of years ago I finally got out of this really bad relationship that almost destroyed me and my mind, body and soul. I had no girlfriend and I had no where to live but I knew I was strong! Being straight edge and vegan for many years also helped me. I wanted a constant reminder that no matter what happened to me in my life, I was able to rise above it and “Stand Strong”. Two years on, I have a new wonderful girlfriend, an awesome apartment, two kittens and I’m happy, really happy.

Never give up,
Ian



Have a Mike V, Mike V inspired or a Revolution Mother tattoo? If so, we would like to feature it right here on www.mikevallely.com for future blog entries. Just send your name, photos of the tattoo, where you’re from and a story on why you got the tattoo etc to:

mikevallelyonline@yahoo.com

Mike V Forever.

Another Mike V inspired tattoo was sent our way… Read on…

This was my first tattoo at age 30. I always wanted a tattoo. My life, my marrige was falling apart. I have now lost my wife to alcoholism. My heart is broken from all this. At that point in my life I had lost all hope. Suicide became a option every day. Finacially I was drowning. My oldest daughter Izzy was always getting me to go skate with her after work. I always told her about a farm board I had and how I had the Powell one later on when she was a baby. A kid down the block gave me Mike V’s Greatest Hits & Stand Strong. Mike’s words gave me hope in life, skating and fatherhood. In all of these my daughters shared together. This elephant spoke to me. How they tolerate every kind of abuse but still have compassion and how in a sense, Mike saved my life. His words and this graphic is a daily reminder to always STAND STRONG & NEVER GIVE UP.

Jeramy



Have a Mike V, Mike V inspired or a Revolution Mother tattoo? If so, we would like to feature it right here on www.mikevallely.com for future blog entries. Just send your name, photos of the tattoo, where you’re from and a story on why you got the tattoo etc to:

mikevallelyonline@yahoo.com

Mike V Forever.

Another Mike V inspired tattoo has been sent out way… Here are Jackie from Michigan’s words and a photo of her tattoo…

Well, my name is Jackie Pearce and I grew up in Michigan but I just moved out here to Denver, CO a few years ago for college. Mike V. has always been a real hero for me. I found him in my very young teenage years when he was responding to articles in Skateboarder (all of which I still have) and his advice was what I needed going through those shitty teenage years. Follow your dreams no matter what people think, care about your community, and fuck changing yourself to fit in to what people think are the basics I got out of his writings. I also read a really long blog he wrote responding to some stripper who had e-mailed him. I saved that too and those words have helped me from dating a lot of douche bags in my life (ha ha). As if Mike wasn’t already someone I admired, when his show Drive came out, I don’t think there are any other words for it besides the fact that it changed my life. It opened me up to the rest of the world and confirmed my belief that there are great people in the world doing great things; even if they are just small things. We can all care about our neighbors and make a difference to the people we come in contact with daily. I still watch it when I feel as if things are getting out of control in my life and I need something to center me again as to what is REALLY important. After years of such a positive influence, I decided two years ago at 18 to get a Mike Vallely tattoo. Now, I’m almost 21 and its meaning is still just as strong. So, thank you Mike Vallely. I will never give up.

-Jackie Pearce



Have a Mike V, Mike V inspired or a Revolution Mother tattoo? If so, we would like to feature it right here on www.mikevallely.com for future blog entries. Just send your name, photos of the tattoo, where you’re from and a story on why you got the tattoo etc to:

mikevallelyonline@yahoo.com

Mike V Forever.

A few more Mike V tattoos have been sent our way. This time, it’s from long time Mike V fan, Brad J from Tennessee. Here is Brad’s short but sweet words on his tattoos…

I got these lightning bolts kinda as a tribute to Mike V and all he stands for. The sun came from my New Deal mammoth t-shirt. I just thought it was a really cool tat design. Thanks guys,

Brad J,
Down in Tennessee



Have a Mike V, Mike V inspired or a Revolution Mother tattoo? If so, we would like to feature it right here on www.mikevallely.com for future blog entries. Just send your name, photos of the tattoo, where you’re from and a story on why you got the tattoo etc to:

mikevallelyonline@yahoo.com

Mike V Forever.

Three days ago we made a post asking for people to send in photos of any and all Mike V, Mike V inspired or Revolution Mother tattoos they may have. A few submissions have come in already and we will be featuring them right here on the site from time to time in a new feature we have entitled “Mike V Forever”

Out first submission comes from Phil from Brooklyn, NY and features a tattoo of Mike’s board graphics from his first deck with World Industries. Read on…

My name is Phil G. from Brooklyn, NYC. I got this tattoo over this past summer. I had been wanting it for awhile. I’m 33, and skateboarding is ingrained in my soul. I grew up when we built our own skateparks, and idolized the skaters we saw in videos. Vallely was always one of my favorites, as were all his boards which I had plenty of. This graphic doesn’t just represent the board that it was on, but for some reason sums up everything I feel about skating. Seeing that graphic always brings me back. Its probably the only truly symbolic tattoo I have. Although I don’t get out skating as much as I’d like anymore, I have a lot of respect for the originators in this scene.

-Phil



Have a Mike V, Mike V inspired or a Revolution Mother tattoo? If so, we would like to feature it right here on www.mikevallely.com for future blog entries. Just send your name, photos of the tattoo, where you’re from and a story on why you got the tattoo etc to:

mikevallelyonline@yahoo.com