Ed Templeton: Wires Crossed

“I’m not sure I successfully answered the question of what makes a skater tick in this book, but I do think it’s a great time capsule of a certain era in skateboarding as told through my life and the lives of some of the best and most unique skaters the world has ever seen.” —Ed Templeton, Thrasher Magazine

Ed Templeton (born in Los Angeles, 1972) is a star skateboarder, entrepreneur, painter, and street photographer. He has published over twenty books of his photographs, not including the volumes of zines he has self-produced over the years. His work has been exhibited worldwide, including at Alleged Gallery, New York; Roberts and Tilton, Los Angeles; Modern Art, London; and Aki-X Gallery, Tokyo, and in solo museum exhibitions at Museum Het Domein, Netherlands, and Palais de Tokyo, Paris. He is considered part of the Beautiful Losers, a group of artists who, in the 1990s, defined the high-brow/low-brow mix of graffiti, skate culture, and art.

Brian Anderson is a Queens-based professional skateboarder. Anderson was named Thrasher magazine’s “Skater of the Year” in 1999, the same year he won the World Cup of Skateboarding title.

Erik Ellington is a professional skateboarder, designer, and entrepreneur based in Los Angeles. He is the founder of Human Recreational Services, a luxury footwear company.

Justin Regan is head of global brand and product marketing at Vans Skateboarding.

Elissa Steamer, one of the first women to become a professional skateboarder, is a four-time X Games gold medalist.

Deanna Templeton is a photographer based in Southern California. She has exhibited widely and published multiple books, including What She Said (2021).