Growing skate culture reflected in film

What began as a joke among friends became a full-length film that debuted to a packed theater this past Friday at the Byrd Theatre in Carytown.

More than 200 people attended the premiere of the VCU student-and-alumni-made skateboarding film “Double Dragon.”

Mike Butler, one of the film’s creators, said such a great amount of interest in skateboarding is all part of an ongoing trend.

“Skateboarding is so trendy now,” Butler said. “Look around at how many skateboarding video games (there are), and skateboards in commercials. Kids aren’t wanting to play regular sports anymore . kids are wanting to go skateboarding.”

Butler, who has a degree in biology from VCU, filmed and edited the movie.

Butler said he occasionally finds this type of popularity frustrating, but was satisfied with the reaction to his film. He considers “Double Dragon,” named after a vintage video game, to be a success.

“I’ve been skateboarding for 13 years and that was probably one of the most fun video premieres I’ve ever been to,” Butler said.

Creative-advertising graduate student Drew Dayberry helped film “Double Dragon” and is one of the skateboarders featured.

Dayberry said the movie, which was filmed with digital cameras, “started out as a joke.”

At first it was “just for fun,” Butler said. “It was just for us to have.

“It started getting so much hype behind it and people were getting so excited for it,” Butler said. “Everyone had good things to say (about the film).”

“It was like a party in there,” Butler said, referring to the enthusiastic response of the audience when they showed their appreciation for a trick shown on-screen or sang loudly along with the music featured in the film.

Taylor Krug, who has been skateboarding for seven years, attended the premiere film and said “partying” is part of the culture of skateboarding. He said “Double Dragon” accurately reflected this culture, including “the fun times we all have together, the inside jokes and everything.”

Dayberry also said it accurately reflected their culture, but “that’s probably a bad thing.”

“It was crazy. That’s all we ever do ? that kind of stuff,” Dayberry said. “Just mayhem and stupid drunk stuff.”

Butler acknowledges this aspect of skateboarders’ lifestyles, but said for serious skateboarders, skating takes precedence over going to parties.

“There were some Friday nights when we were out filming for the video,” Butler said. “Skateboarding always comes first.”