D.O.A. "Winter 1997" Promo / PREMIERE
While the word FIT will most likely not evoke anything among the younger generations (but the qualities of their garment of choice for the day, to some, maybe?), it's still something people regularly throw, post on the SLAP message boards, or worship; the latter is the case of Steve Fletch, the man behind the indie board brand Dead On Arrival aka. D.O.A., which is likely to have caught your e-attention already due to Steve's knack for Instagram comedy (or is it niche social commentary?).
Modern enthusiasm around a short-lived clothing brand from the mid-nineties surely could appeal to many a nostalgic geezer or youthful wannabe these days, except this is Steve's board brand this new web edit is a promo for. A longtime fan of the original FIT "Industry" section from 411VM, the late institution of a skate video magazine (pre-Internet days...), Steve is going all the way in with a recreation of said clip accompanied by a FIT-inspired line of D.O.A. product (with Pat Washington as a living common denominator). Two decades later, the wheels have turned!
Here's what Steve had to tell us about the whole process:
"The idea to start Dead On Arrival (D.O.A.) came to me about a year and a half ago. I was running The Northern Company with my friend Mike, and I felt he had his own vision and handle on the brand, so I shot the idea of doing a side brand that I could use my ideas that really would not have messed with Northern.
I love all the skating from 1994-1999; to me, that was the best time. I also love all the smaller, unrecognized brands that deserve some credit for the way they inspired me. My goal was to incorporate some of the nostalgia of the older brands as a way to inform people about what was out there back in the day.
I must have watched the FIT Industry section in 411VM a few hundred times. To me it was the perfect edit. Unfortunately, the brand didn’t last as long as I believe it should have.
I was hoping to recreate the style of the edit for a FIT-inspired board release, but there is something with the song - it’s basically impossible to recreate without, well, using the song. So I basically went ahead and made the whole edit as a tribute, mimicking the original, and I was already in contact with Pat Washington about a guest board which uses his jersey he wears in the FIT industry section.
I’d also like to give a big thanks to John Trippe for making the original edit, and keeping me motivated over twenty years later."
