In the old days, and still to an extent today, it was magazine awards like Thrasher‘s ‘Skater of The Year’ that permanently guaranteed your street cred within the skateboarding populous. As skating grows in pop culture though, we’ve continuously explored the implications of it as a ‘sport’, with competitions like theStreet League becoming the benchmark for who is the ‘greatest’. It should be noted that in art, ‘greatest’ is considered almost purely subjective, but in sport, it’s a more monochrome descriptor defined by wall hangings, trophies, and a selection of car keys. It’s hard to tell which lens director Adam Bhala Lough views skating through, though by the looks of the newly released trailer for The Motivation documentary, it’s the latter option.

The film is set to explore the lives of eight skateboarders – including Paul Rodriguez, Nyjah Huston, and Sean Malto – all of which have led decorated ‘careers’ in professional skating. While some have led a path of pure stardom, leading the ‘rock star’ life that contest money can provide, the same attention and responsibility weighs on even the most talented of pros. A pedigreed winner in its own right, The Motivation was highly touted by some critics upon its release at the TriBeCa Film Festival, and is presently available for purchase on the film’s web site. Enjoy the trailer above.