* BoxOfficeBomb: Made only half of its small $25 million budget.
* CastTheExpert: Creator/EmileHirsch had some experience as a street skater beforehand.
* CreatorChosenCasting: The real Skip wanted Creator/HeathLedger to play him.
* DawsonCasting:
** Jay Adams was thirteen when he first became a skater. Creator/EmileHirsch turned eighteen around the time the film was made.
** Victor Rasuk was twenty playing Tony at fifteen.
** John Robinson was likewise twenty when Stacy was fifteen.
* DyeingForYourArt:
** The actors practiced for hours every day months before filming began to convincingly portray street skaters. They performed most of the stunts themselves, with only a few dangerous stunts performed by pro skaters.
** Creator/EmileHirsch shaved his head on screen when Jay does the same.
* ExecutiveMeddling: Jay shouting at the old women from the car was under constant meddling from the censors. The scripted insult was "grey beaver", and it had to be re-shot several times - with Creator/EmileHirsch using a different insult each time. The one that got approved was "vintage ass" because 'vintage' had a positive connotation to it. They actually made something of a joke out of it; after the film was approved, they sent a thank you gift to Catherine Hardwicke. A pair of shorts with 'vintage' printed on them.
* FakeAmerican: Creator/HeathLedger (Australian) as Skip.
* ProductionPosse: Creator/NikkiReed had worked with Creator/CatherineHardwicke on ''Film/Thirteen2003'' and again on ''{{Literature/Twilight}}''.
* RealitySubtext: Creator/CatherineHardwicke had grown up on Venice Beach and knew many of the Z-Boys personally.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** Creator/DavidFincher was originally going to direct, from a script by Creator/RogerAvary. Both lost enthusiasm for the project and moved on, but just imagine what those two could have done with the story.
** When David Fincher was attached, his first choice for Skip was Creator/DonalLogue.
** Creator/LindsayLohan was attached early on, playing a love interest for Tony. She had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts, and her character was eventually dropped from the script.
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