Disney XD's show Zeke and Luther has been a major hit, and is coming back for a second season. In case you've never heard of it, the Zeke and Luther show follows two teenage boys who dream of becoming pro skaters. In a lot of ways the show is everything you would expect from a show for kids, except for one major improvement - they're trying hard to make the skateboarding look legitimate.
The main factor in creating realistic skateboarding is the man behind the scenes, James "Jimmy" Gorecki. Gorecki is an ex-pro skater who, through a crazy series of events, ended up being a "Skateboarding Consultant". Not sure what that means? Gorecki wasn't either - he's one of the first people to do this! With skateboarding becoming more and more popular in TV shows and movies, production companies that care are looking for people like Gorecki who can find real pro skaters to do the tricks, and who can teach actors to skate!
I was able to talk with Gorecki earlier this week about what he does for the Zeke and Luther show, how he ended up there, and what he thinks about the mainstreaming of skateboarding. Read the James Gorecki Interview - the guy has some great stuff to say!
And if you are a fan of the Zeke and Luther show, or if you want to be, check out the Zeke and Luther Photo Gallery! Season Two of the show kicks off with a clever episode when Zeke attempts his biggest skateboarding trick ever - jumping a shark (get it?! If not, ask your parents). New episodes start March 15th (7:30-8:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney XD and DisneyXD.com.
Comments
Congratulations to James! That’s a job I would like to have. Interestingly I had an experience teaching Disney stars. Way back in August 2009 me and Ollie Pop were invited to the Teen Choice Awards Pre-party. I ended up teaching 21 ten to fifteen minute lessons in one day to these Disney stars! I was tired, but we got it all on film and it’s soon to be released. I actually taught one of the Zeke and Luther stars to skate… I see why James hadn’t done it yet, because it took a TON of persuading… I taught Nate Hartley to skate… He plays Ozzie, they guy who can’t skate. I have it all on film and it’ll be out soon. Anyway, I think it’s very important to have accurate skateboarding on these shows. Keep up the great work James! If you read this James, please contact me info@skateboardingexplained.com. I may have an extra opportunity for you soon!