The Motivation & The Motivation 2

Just checked out two skate docs -- The Motivation and The Motivation 2: The Chris Cole Story. Both are well done and chronicle pieces of skateboarding history, highlighting some of the best skaters around today.

The Motivation

This flick follows around 8 skaters on their way to the Street League Championship, which has become the premier street skating competition. Most of the guys competing are skaters I grew up watching -- Chris Cole, Paul Rodriguez, Nyjah Huston -- along with a few I had heard of, but haven't really followed. All amazing in their own right and doing things on a skateboard I've only dreamed of.

What I love about the movie, though, is that you get to go behind the skating for all of these guys and see what motivates them. I've always been the kind of guy who picked his favorite skaters not only because of their skill, but also because of who they were as persons, usually finding someone I identified with on some level. This movie lets you see many of these famous skaters' histories, trials and triumphs, giving you a reason to root for every one of them in some way (even the often hated Ryan Sheckler), so when it comes down to the competition, you're not sure who you want to win!

Overall, definitely worth the watch. Check out the trailer below.

The Motivation 2: The Chris Cole Story

Chris Cole has always been one of my favorite skaters, mostly because of his buttery smooth style. It literally looks like he's dancing on the skateboard sometimes. Incredibly consistent, he's earned the status as a veteran competitor in the sport. The Motivation 2 chronicles his upbringing and ultimate rise to stardom in the skateboard world.

The film isn't quite as action-packed as The Motivation, but still carries along well enough. I was interested and loved learning more about a skater I've always admired. The film also provides a nice history of the skate scene in Philadelphia, famous for LOVE Park, which both rose and fell as a skate spot in my lifetime.

I recommend checking this one out, although The Motivation (first) is a better bet if you're on a limited time frame. Both are available on Netflix Streaming.