RIP Jake Phelps, The Longtime Editor Of <em> Thrasher </em>
Chase Stallo

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RIP Jake Phelps, The Longtime Editor Of Thrasher

Jake Phelps, the longtime editor of Thrasher magazine, the bible of skateboarding, passed away on Thursday. He was 56.

Tony Vitello, the publisher of Thrasher, wrote the following on their website:

“Jake Phelps was 100% skateboarder, but that label sells him way too short, because beyond his enormous influence in our world, he was truly an individual beyond this world. When loved ones pass we sometimes mythologize about their full lives rich in friendships and experiences. Sometimes we need to talk ourselves into believing it all. It makes us feel better, and helps us cope with the loss. Well, in the case of Jake, the task becomes wrapping your head around just how many lives one person could possibly live. He really did see it all, do it all, and that incredible brain of his could relish every last detail.”

Thrasher magazine was founded in 1981 by Fausto Vitello and Jake served as editor for 26 years, taking over in 1993 after a few years of working in the warehouse. During his time as editor, he helped build Thrasher as the seminal skateboarding outlet and wasn’t afraid to piss people off. “People always call me an asshole,” he told California Sunday Magazine in 2016. “That’s because I don’t stop.”

A recent example was when Thrasher’s flame logo became trendy and was being worn by celebrities. Phelps hated it: “We don’t send boxes to Justin Bieber or Rihanna or those fucking clowns,” he told Hypebeast. “The pavement is where the real shit is. Blood and scabs, does it get realer than that?” 

Phelps was a skater through and through and will be missed!

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Jake Phelps was 100% skateboarder, but that label sells him way too short, because beyond his enormous influence in our world, he was truly an individual beyond this world. When loved ones pass we sometimes mythologize about their full lives rich in friendships and experiences. Sometimes we need to talk ourselves into believing it all. It makes us feel better, and helps us cope with the loss. Well, in the case of Jake, the task becomes wrapping your head around just how many lives one person could possibly live. He really did see it all, do it all, and that incredible brain of his could relish every last detail. But most of you reading this now identified primarily with Jake Phelps the skateboarder, and editor of our magazine, so I will leave you with this truth - I never met anybody who loves anything more than Jake worshipped skateboarding. Just as we need food and water to survive, Jake needed skateboarding to keep his blood pumping. It was more than a hobby or form of transportation or way of life - it was his oxygen. Here’s another thing. Jake never bailed. Jake fucking slammed. And there is a big difference. He only knew commitment. He was going to go for it without hesitation, and there were only two outcomes. Either you’d see his triumphant fist pumping in the air or it’d be an earth-shaking collision with the concrete. I remember him telling me once that he never fell backwards, he always fell forward. Leaning back meant there was hesitation, and Jake was all the way IN. There was no myth. The man was the myth. We love you, Jake. -Tony Vitello

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Main image: Thrasher