With the release of the Thrasher Skate Magazine, founders Kevin Thatcher, Eric Swenson, and Fausto Vitello established themselves back in 1981. As the oldest and most influential in its field, it holds high esteem, partly due to its straightforward writing style. The magazine, especially editor-in-chief Jake "The Phelper" Phelps, has never minced words, reinforcing its credibility as a hardcore skate mag for over three decades. The hallmark of the magazine is its distinctive logo, which has become a staple in the skate world and is prominently featured on Thrasher merchandise. Whether with or without flames, it is now as iconic as the well-known Vans logo.
Thrasher as a Streetwear Brand
Whether it’s the recognizable Thrasher logo or the Skategoat pentagram logo, both designs are integral to the skate world and adorn various products like Thrasher hoodies and shirts. Alongside other major brands like Element, Etnies, and Vans, Thrasher is a leading name in skate streetwear. In 2016, Vogue even described the brand as a "skateboarding phenomenon." With the increasing popularity of skateboarding and celebrities like Justin Bieber and Rihanna publicly sporting Thrasher merch, the magazine's products have also entered the fashion mainstream. However, editor-in-chief Jake Phelps had rather harsh words about these new "testimonials": "We don’t send boxes to Justin Bieber or Rihanna or those fucking clowns..."
