Tony Alva Unseen

In January of this year, Tony Alva and his business partner Michael Early, sat down with me and we decided to move forward with a Tony Alva book project. The idea had been discussed off and on for a year or so, but with Tony’s Vans commitments, travel, band schedule and generally busy life, it was shelved for the time. I was also knee-deep in the William Sharp ‘Back in the Day’ book project, so we sat on the idea. In January, all of that changed. Tony had a vision of what he wanted and I was asked to bring it all together. The process is a long one. I’ve discovered that books are a very time-consuming process. I’ve learned the hard way. With a full time job and hectic life, I had to work on the William Sharp book in my spare time. With Tony’s book, I knew what I had to do from the start. As one of the most photographed skateboarders on the planet, I had to start from the earliest days of skateboard photography. I contacted photographers and initiated the process of having them locate decades-old slides. Tony was looking for the rarities. He wanted to only use photographs that have never been published. Unseen. We are now about a third of the way through the process and it is beginning to take shape. A life of its own. Alva Unseen is a photographic journey, complete with Tony’s memories and candid observations about a life unfolding. Tony Alva: an icon, a rogue, skateboarder, surfer, musician and so much more. We will be bringing you updates as the book reveals itself. Skate- Ozzie

Thank you to Jonathan Coudriet / Jon Sea for the image.

For more of Jon Sea Photography: www.jonseaphotography.com