Alva and the other Z-Boys may well have been the first to skate empty pools. In these early days, it was noted that Alva was hitting the lip so hard that he was actually taking off, hence Alva is reponsible for the first recorded aerial, a frontside air. Alva is featured in the documentary on Venice Beach skate culture Dogtown and Z-Boys which was fictionalized into the 2005 feature film Lords of Dogtown.

At age nineteen, Alva shunned the big sports companies to form his own skateboard company, Alva Skates.

Tony Alva just signed a 3 year deal with Vans shoes and is sponsored by Independent trucks. He also has a watch with his name on it by Vestal.

Tony also played bass in the band The Skoundrelz, which featured ex-Suicidal Tendencies members Mike Dunnigan and Mike Ball as well as ex-member of Wasted Youth Dave Hurricane.

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