The very essence of the modern Venice High is built off the punk rock attitude that Stacy Peralta, Nathan Pratt and Derrick “Skip” Engblom left the hallways stinking of in the 70’s. 

There have been few cultural movements more influential in the past 100 years than the skate and surf culture that Peralta, Pratt and Engblom brought out of Venice High School and into the streets of Venice and Santa Monica. What was once seen as just a degenerate waste of time quickly became a symbol of youth resistance around the world, spearheaded by a few long haired louts and their “Z-Boys”.

When Pratt was at Venice High, he swept the floors at the Jeff Ho/Zephyr shop, and soon became a founding member of the Z-Boys Skate Crew along with Peralta. The Zephyr Competition Team shirt was designed by the two boys in the Venice High School print shop. 

It’s been about 50 years since those boys walked the stage at Venice High, but their movement is still as relevant as ever. Not only do kids still wear Dickies as they fly out of the bowl at the Venice Skatepark on their Bones Brigade boards, but the California Heritage Museum even has an exhibit for them at the moment: Dogtown and the Legendary Z-Boys. 

A fairly small exhibit, but meticulously crafted by Pratt himself, the showcase tells the story of those kids. There are the original skateboards from Power Peralta, shirts from the original Venice Surf Club, and a nod to other Venice High alumnus: Suicidal Intentions on the back of an OBEY Posse board. 

The exhibit not only immortalizes the Z-Boys but also serves as a reminder of Venice High’s place in shaping youth culture. From the print shop where those early Zephyr shirts were made, to the sidewalks and skateparks where the spirit of resistance still thrives, the rejection of mainstream media still lives in the streets of Venice.