Sometimes legends come full circle.
In 1986, Chris Miller dominated the original Combi Bowl in Upland, California, while Grant Brittain immortalized the moment with a Canon 8mm fisheye stretched out on a 4’ pole. A couple of dozen frames later, the way we all saw skateboarding changed forever.
Few moments have had such a lasting effect on a generation of Skateboarding shooters or graced more covers of Transworld, Thrasher, etc. Sure the Fisheye look has hit every major sport and 80’s band photo. But its ability to suck us into the perfect moment at the perfect spot with every detail warped perfectly into view has become the signature of skateboarding.
Grant showed us the way, and nearly 40 years later, we can’t get enough of it.
To celebrate that epic moment and see it through the lens of the next generation, we tapped long time Nixon team rider Zach Miller–son of Chris Miller–and photographer Matt Price, the one-time intern for Brittain and skate boarding’s current reigning king of the Fisheye - and headed to Palm Desert to put their spin on this iconic session at La Quinta X Park.
Why?
To ride the only exact replica of the Upland Combi Bowl. Of course, to up the ante, we brought the godfather Grant Brittain with us to help capture the moment and keep us all legit. Naturally, when something this good is going down, our friends want to join in. Even Heath Kirchart tagged along as Matt’s assistant for the day just to watch it all go down.
For Zach this was more than just another session. It was a bend in the universe that warped time back to another world where his dad had run the same lines. For Brittain, it was a chance to look back through that very same lens and see the future unfolding. And for Matt it was a mind-shift back to the very roots that inspired him to imagine new ways of shooting.
For the Nixon crew, it was another reminder that a fresh perspective on the past always opens our minds to new ways to break through.
To get in on the action, check out the Nixon Fisheye watch collection, featuring new takes on the Time Teller, 51-30 Chrono and Sentry Stainless Steel.
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