Last fall, FTC self-published a book that documents the transformation of the San Francisco company into a world-renowned brand for skateboarding.
FTC, now For The City, originated at the corner of Bush and Franklin in the late 1960s as Free Trade Center, a general interest sporting goods store for San Franciscans. After an initial move onto Shrader, across from the now Cha Cha Cha, the store put down roots at 1632 Haight in 1994.
It was in the late 1980s and early '90s that FTC transformed into a skateboarder's haven under its current owner, Kent Uyehara.
FTC the book first began as a magazine article by Seb Carayol, a longtime fan of the store. In the course of writing the piece, said Uyehara, it became apparent that what they were looking at was more of a book project. So FTC resurrected the idea they had initially floated in 2006 for their 20th anniversary: make a book that documents the store's place in the Bay Area's skateboarding life.
The hefty, handsome volume is compiled with work from around 15 skateboarding photographers, as well as store archives, interviews, and essays. You can pick up a copy at FTC for $35.
