Super7 Spotlight - Colin Flynn / Powell-Peralta Collaboration

Skate culture is at the deepest roots of Super7 and the launch of our collaboration with Powell-Peralta is a special moment. We talked to Special Projects Manager & Designer Colin Flynn about it.

What are the roots for you with Powell-Peralta?

My awareness of Powell-Peralta came when I walked into a room where my brother and some friends were watching the first Powell & Peralta movie when Stacy Peralta pulls out that Rat Bones board from the t.v. he had just smashed. That was the coolest board I had ever seen - I was in love! This was still the time when skateboarding was an outlaw activity, so seeing him smashing that t.v. in defense of true skateboarding was very impactful in my 10-year old mind.

The opening sequences of The Bones Brigade Video Show (1984).

What is your earliest memory of skating and skate culture growing up?

My earliest memories of skate culture came from seeing pictures in magazines and feeling like there was a freedom that wasn't available to everyone. That it somehow called to those involved - almost as if you were chosen - it felt like a very special thing to be a part of!

A Flynn bedroom in the 1980s.

How were the subjects of the ReAction Figures selected?

The figures selected for this collection are the core members of The Bones Brigade and the main people in the Powell-Peralta movies.

The first wave of the Powell-Peralta ReAction Figures. More to come!

What makes the collaboration with Super7 special?

I think the collaboration is special due to this being a 100% passion project. This was done out of love and respect and honor. These skaters and Powell-Peralta gave so much to so many peoples young lives. For me personally, being able to design the Lance Mountain ReAction Figure was a dream come true. Of all the skaters, I could relate to him the most. Riding off his roof at the start of his video section. The sad plant where he falls to the sound of a crashing fighter plane. Mountain Manor. I wanted to be a part of all of that and tried my hardest to attain the levels being established.

Is there a cross over between skate culture with the collector toys world?

There seems to be a huge crossover between the skate and toy collector worlds. At least back when my brother and I started skating, the media available had to be sought out. There was no Internet. That hunt for anything and everything related to skating relates very much to the collecting urge. The skateboard, having a pro model, was like having a small part of your idol making you that much closer to the dreams. I feel like collecting toys is like that: Desiring the tangible artifacts of dreams and imagination.

Colin shredding back in The Day from his high school yearbook.

How have people in the skate world reacted to the Powell-Peralta collaboration?

So far, the core group of skaters from my early days and the ones, like myself, who hold that time period important, have all been stoked. Getting their hands on the toys as soon as possible has been great to see.

Is there something I didn’t ask you that you would like to add?

With skateboarding there is an uncountable amount of falls. Trying something new and ending up on the pavement, often with less skin and more pain but the getting back up to try again. These figures we made, if you extend a helping hand on them, you can look at them and get a real sense of what it was like as a kid and how these skaters and their example was what often picked you back up off the ground. It's what helped you through the blood, the pain, the frustration, the doubts. The joy and excitement that they spread with their movies. If you were a part of that time, well, it's in your BONES.

Visit the Super7 Powell-Peralta Collection HERE.