Portrait of a group of young skaters, one blowing smoke from a cigarette.

Skate Kids

Venice, California

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Skateboarder doing a trick over a traffic cone at the Venice skate park.

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Skate Kids

60 photographs

Venice, California
2015-2025

Portrait of a skater with long hair sitting on a funbox in the Venice skate park.

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Closeup detail of a skateboarder leaning on his knee about to take off.

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A lone palm tree against a clear sky.

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There’s something magical about Venice that’s hard to explain. The light hits differently, there is a buzz in the air, and the skate park and path feel alive from sunrise to sunset, with everyone in motion.

I come back often, and it always feels the same. The skate park is my anchor, a stage where faces come and go, each with their own style and story. I can spend hours watching the lines they draw, the quiet competition, the unspoken connection, and youthful irreverence.

Venice Beach at twilight with calm ocean waves and a sandy shore lined with palm trees.

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Most of the skaters I’ve photographed never saw their portraits. I often don’t even get their names. But the trust was there, a nod, a glance, a shared moment before the next run, or a large smile after landing a big air.

What began as observations became appreciation for a welcoming community that lives without pretense.

This is a story about youthful camaraderie, a beach community, and a place that never stops moving.

Skater leans down to pickup skateboard inside skate bowl.

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Close-up of a skatepark bowl edge with a curved concrete surface and decorative tiles featuring various skateboard logos.

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Skateboarder cruising at the top of the bowls at the Venice skate park

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Young skateboarder high-fiving a friend while skating the top of the bowl

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Closeup detail of three skateboarders standing, holding their boards.

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Skateboarder with his shirt off about to jump on his board in the bowl.

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Skateboarder caught mid aerial trick out of the bowl

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Cropped detail of palm trees in Venice, California against clear sky.

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Several palm trees with colorful graffiti on their trunks on Venice Beach.

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Portrait of man smoking a joint at the Venice skate part.

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Young skater crouching on the sand, holding a fistful of sand.
Portrait of a young skater girl with a pink Supreme hat covering her face.

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Full body portrait of a skateboarder holding his board, standing alongside a pink trash can at the Venice skate park.

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Portrait of five skaters standing next to one another at the Venice skate park.

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Skateboarder doing a grind on the top of the bowl at the Venice skate park

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Cropped view of palm trees against a clear sky at the Venice skate park

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Closeup detail of skater holding the top of his board.

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Closeup detail of surfboards and wetsuits on the concrete skate park ground.
Person holding a dog on a thick, metal leash.

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Portrait of a man with his shirt off revealing chest and arm tattoos.

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Cropped view of palm trees against a clear sky at the Venice Beach.

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A person sitting on the edge of a skate park bowl, with their legs dangling over the side.

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Skateboarder doing a trick over a trash can at the Venice skate park.
A group of young people at a skatepark. One man stands laughing and pointing, while others sit on the edge of a skate bowl.

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Skateboarders hanging around an embankment at the Venice skate park.

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A close-up of a person wearing Nike shoes resting his feet on a skateboard with hand-drawn graphics on it.

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Skateboarder riding down the bowl with his hands up and feet parallel to the board.

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Skateboarder mid-air during a flip trick.

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Double exposure shot of a skateboard and palm trees.

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Young skateboarder doing a trick over a trash can at the Venice skate park.

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Portrait of a shirtless man with his hand to his face with a shocked look

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Cropped view of palm trees against a clear sky in Venice Beach.

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A close-up of a foot wearing a Nike sneaker on a Stacy Peralta skateboard.

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A skateboarder doing a trick on curved bank at the Venice skate park.

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Close-up view of abstract shapes from the curves of the skate park.
Close-up view of a skateboarder with one foot on his board.

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Four concrete columns with large black numbers 1 to 4 displayed on them.

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Signage on a wall that says 'One Two Three CALIFORNIA', with a shadow of a palm tree visible on the surface.

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A skater with long hair skateboarding in a bowl at a skate park.
Two palm trees against a clear sky.

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Venice Beach at twilight with calm ocean waves and a sandy shore lined with palm trees.

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Portrait of a skateboarder sitting on a concrete bench holding a yellow skateboard with Shake Junt grip tape

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Close-up of green agave plant.

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A person sitting on a concrete bench at the Venice skate park, seen from behind, wearing a gray hoodie.
Two skaters sitting on a bench at the Venice skate park.

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Portrait of a skateboarder smiling.

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Long view of the ocean at Venice Beach.

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A person with long hair sits on the edge of a skate embankment.

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A silhouette of a skateboarder doing an aerial trick off the Venice skate park bowl with the sunset in the background.

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A skateboarder squatting down cruising on his board in the Venice skate park.

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Three lifeguard towers on a beach, silhouetted against a bright sky.

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Silhouettes of people walking along a beach with a sailboat visible in the ocean.

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Skate Kids
All Photographs
Copyright © Scott Rudin
Black Palm Press
Two Thousand Twenty Six
All Rights Reserved

A group of young skaters, one giving middle fingers and smoking and the other smiling and laughing.

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Special Thanks

to all of the venice beach skaters

A clear sky during twilight with a full moon visible at the center and silhouettes of palm trees at the bottom.

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Skate Kids | Scott Rudin