NATAS KAUPAS 88 SPEED FREAKS SESSIONS 2023 RE-EDIT/ DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARYIn 1988 Natas Kaupas was perhaps at the height of his power, when he and the SMA tour embarked upon what would be known as the Cadillac Tour of the United States. This tour pitted Natas and the SMA Team against some of the sketchiest obstacles at some of the jankiest demos of all time. That did not stop Natas from unleashing a relentless array of powerful new tricks and lines from coast to coast, making fans nationwide, and cementing his legacy of one of the best from the first generation of street pros. Natas Kaupas (born March 23, 1969) is an American former professional skateboarder. He grew up in South Santa Monica, California, in the area known as Dogtown, and is of Lithuanian descent. He is often referred to as one of the first true professional street skateboarders. Kaupas began skating during his childhood years. In 1983 Kaupas won a local Santa Monica surfing contest and received a Santa Monica Airlines (SMA) skateboard as a first place prize. SMA was operated out of the back of a surfshop owned by Skip Engblom. Kaupas approached Engblom about becoming a member of his skate team, which did not exist. However, Engblom was impressed with Kaupas's skating ability and offered to sponsor him. Kaupas by his own admission remained clueless and uninterested in the mainstream skateboard subculture. He honed his street skateboarding skills by utilizing his surroundings, preferring not to ride ramps or parks. By the mid-1980s, Kaupas had discovered riding walls where he would throw his skateboard up against a wall and ride off it. He then perfected this trick by riding up the side of walls without using his hands. In 1984 Thrasher Magazine photographer and skating commentator Craig Stecyk took a photo of Kaupas riding off a wall which featured on the cover of Thrasher Magazine's September 1984 issue. With this cover photo, Kaupas beg