When Arto quit the pro skating world, he moved to the North Shore where he takes incredible photos. Photo: YouTube//Screenshot
Arto Saari is a living legend. As one of the most famous pro skaters ever, he helped shape the sport into what it is today. Now, he lives on Oahu where he spends his time taking photos.
If you’ve been on Oahu’s North Shore, you surely know the bike path. It winds its way along most of the Seven Mile Miracle, chickens pecking at its edges as locals pedal their way along it. Saari became enamored with the bike path and what it represents, so he began taking pictures of it. Those photos can be found in the aptly titled book, Bike Path.
Back in the early ’90s, Saari began skateboarding in Seinäjoki, Finland. At 16, he moved to L.A. to follow his skateboarding passion, and by the early 2000s, he’d cemented himself as one of the best to ever do it. In 2001, Thrasher magazine named him Skater of the Year, which, if you’re a skateboarder, is about as high of an honor as you can get.
After he decided to hang up his professional skateboarder hat, he threw himself into photography. “During my active years as a professional skateboarder,” he explained, “I picked up a camera and I taught myself photography and cinematography throughout my travels.”
He didn’t solely focus on skateboarding, even then. Street culture, music, and humanity in general were what caught his eye, and that’s the case to this day.
Bike Path is a celebration of the North Shore community and the little strip of pavement that connects it, as seen through Saari’s eyes.
