Dogtown and Z-Boys (2001)

It's probably pretty obvious to an onlooker that skateboarding was influenced by surfing, but for the story of how advancements in technology enabled an explosion of creativity, and how a collective punk attitude shaped the current state of the sport, you need to go to Dogtown; i.e. Santa Monica in the mid 70s. Directed by a key member of the original Zephyr team (Stacy Peralta), it's a spirited look at both the activity itself and the attitudes of the skaters who pushed it beyond mere pastime into a fully expressive way of life.
The old 8 and 16 mm footage is a highlight, but so too is the soundtrack: Black Sabbath, Bowie, Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd, Stooges, Hendrix, Neil Young, and more. When put together they make a good documentary even better. And if you don't like the format, there's a dramatised biopic version of the story.

3½ points of evolution out of 5