Have You Seen Him?
This one’s for all the old school wood-pushers out there…
Pictured here is Emerson “Won Ton Animal” Chin, the inspiration behind Powell Peralta’s legendary skateboarding film, “The Search for Animal Chin."
Released in 1987, the video features a handful of skateboarding legends, including Tony Hawk, Lance Mountain, Tommy Guerrero and Steve Caballero, among others, collectively known as “The Bones Brigade.”
“The Search for Animal Chin” is one of the first skateboard videos to have a plot and is considered to be one the most influential skateboarding films of all-time.
Personally, this video is responsible for introducing me to skateboarding, a lifestyle that would end up shaping the entire direction of my life.
In the film, The Bones Brigade travels to different skate spots throughout California, Nevada and Hawaii in search of a wizened old man by the name of “Won Ton Animal” Chin who supposedly founded skateboarding.
After much searching and skateboarding, the video ends with the team finding the spirit of Animal Chin in the spine of a massive vert ramp in the middle of the desert. Random, I know.
Featuring a diverse mix of terrain, including street, pool and ramp, the actual skateboarding in the film was considered especially progressive during the time of its release.
A friend first introduced me to “Chin” at an ASR (Action Sports Retailer) tradeshow in Long Beach approximately 13 years ago. He was carrying two shopping bags overflowing with promo gear. He seemed to know everyone. In fact, I saw Tony Hawk put what looked to be an important business meeting on hold to chat with Chin for a few minutes.
Although not confirmed, Chin’s skateboarding connection comes from the days of the legendary Boys Club ramps in the Upper Haight, where he apparently worked as a tutor to some of the skateboarders featured in the film.
I seem to run into Chin maybe once a year, give or take. On this particular day, I spotted him while photo walking down Stockton Street, near Clay. Minus the Sierra Nevada hoody, which is signed by several current San Francisco 49ers players, Chin was dipped head-to-toe in Element gear. He was also walking with a cane covered in Spitfire stickers. We chatted for a few minutes and I took his pic. I gave him my card before parting ways, so hopefully he’ll call me soon. I’d love to write a feature story on him one day.
Happy Shredding...
