"Through the video footage, I would see the surface. I could see there was a serious problem. But even then, it's weird — I didn't look at it as like, 'Oh, we need to address this problem. It's lack of knowledge of it, lack of comprehension." — Erik Ellington (Pro Skateboarder)

"When I think about the good times I've wasted on the good times, it definitely pertains to Ali." — Ewan Bowman (Pro Skateboard FIlmer)

If you’re reading this, chances are high you already who Ali Boulala is and his tragic end to skateboarding. I won't go too into detail over that painful memory which rocked and almost broke the skateboarding industry. Even if you're not a skateboarder, please watch this must-see documentary on addiction and how drugs and alcohol can and will ruin your life in a split second.

The original Baker Boy, Ali could party hard one night and capture some of the most mind-blowing skate tricks the next day. It was a good life until it came to a screeching halt.

Ali pushed the bar on a skateboard. He's known for many of his tricks but perhaps best known for his massive 25 stair ollie — where he landed on his board, and it shattered into a million pieces once landing at the bottom. You could find anything on Earth, and Ali would find a way to skate it.

Now, this isn't just ollie-ing a couple of stairs. This 25-stair ollie is defying the laws of physics and flying in the air with a piece of wood with wheels staying under your fight. Stories high, and somehow the skateboard says under your feet as you're flying through the air.

Skateboarding often gets a bad rap. Ask any parent whose kid skates or wants to, and a majority will tell you that skaters are hoodlums, drug addicts, misfits, and nothing but trouble. The truth is, skateboarding has saved many lives. It's helped many overcome depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and substance use. Sure, skateboarding has is a dark side but doesn’t every sport? The rewards, however, outweigh the dark. And yes, skateboarding tends to draw out the freaks, punks, rebels, and that's a good thing. We need athletes to push this sport forward, and it takes the crazy ones to make this happen.

Kids in their teens will always be exposed to drugs and alcohol. This is a fact. Choir boy at your local church or skateboarder, all teens come into contact with drugs and the sauce at some point in their lives.

I've been in the skateboard culture for 26 years. Started out as a skateboarder and found my real passion: taking photos and filming skateboarders. Boulala has been a hero of mine since I was 13. Along with Tom Penny, he made skateboarding seem so easy and amazing.

Skateboarding is a particular sport, and only one with the freaks can handle — the daily slams and frequent broken bones, only to get back out there a short time later.

I digress.

This review of THE SCARS OF ALI BOULALA focuses rise and fall of Boulala’s skateboarding career due to his addictions and afflictions, but if you're reading this and are a parent, note that profoundly paints a picture of a legendary skateboarder who lost it all due to his lust for booze and drugs.

There are a colossal amount of pro skateboarders in the industry who live and breathe skateboarding. All they want to do is skateboard and get tricks — their job. Parents and many assume that being pro skateboarders means you must be a hoodlum and engage in bad recreational behavior. When you watch this documentary and take out the skateboarding element, ask yourself how often you've gotten busted for this kind of reckless behavior. And parents, your kids should strive to skate like Ali did and should watch this as a cautionary tale of what could happen if you follow in the footsteps of his former foolish lifestyle when he wasn’t wowing the world on his skateboard.

THE SCARS OF ALI BOULALA is a heartbreaking and poignant must-see documentary on one of the most renowned skateboarders in the history of skateboarding. THE SCARS OF ALI BOULALA chronicles from when Ali first stepped on his board to his natural progression into a wunderkind pro. He had it all for many years, but it was stripped from him one tragic night, drunk and accidentally killing one of his best friends and renowned skateboarder, Shane Cross, on a motorcycle ride.

I've known Ali for a while, and while watching the documentary, I kept asking myself, "Will this be Ali's legacy? The guy who killed Shane Cross? Or will he be known as one of the best who is now a cautionary tale because he caused Shane's death? I will never be able to answer this, but I will always think about it.

Boulala rose to fame in the 90s. Boulala was one of the greatest skateboarders on the planet. His style was like no others. You could pick a random object, sculpture, or terrain, and Ali would find a way to get a trick out of it, and often in a "whoa!" Creative way.

Ali never set out to be a menace to skateboarding -- he's a human being who got wrapped up in the drug and alcohol culture that many of us do as well. (And to be fair, he was a little shithead, heckling his friends since he was a teen.) The only difference? He's a famous pro skateboarder, and famous people are scrutinized. It's easy to point the finger that "skateboarding makes you bad" when a skater gets busted for illegal substances, but what about you — you can hide your skeletons; famous people cannot. How many times have football and other sports players and movie stars been busted for heavy drug and alcohol use that led to trouble? It often costs them their career like it did Ali’s. (Most of the time, these athletes and celebrities issue a half-assed apology and the world forgets a week later.) Like Bam Margera, Boulala was applauded and cheered on by fellow skateboarders, teammates, and fans for his bad behavior throughout his career. Imagine how confusing this can be when you’re trying to make a living off doing what you love most.

When I skateboarded throughout my teens, my crew was into drugs and the sauce, and I never touched any of this until I was 21. I could have, but I chose not to and chose to wake up and skate until the sun came down.

Skateboarding is 99% rewarding, but getting caught up in the rockstar lifestyle is easy to get wrapped up in. Yes, skateboarders are given a lot of money and freedom to travel the world, but there are a profound amount of skateboarders who've been doing this their whole career without a drop of legal trouble. Many are significant influences and if you want me to name them, email me, and I'll send you a long list.

Then some revered skateboarders who turned their life around got sober and are now an excellent example for kids. Google Andrew Reynolds, Jim Greco, Arto Saari. Elissa Steamer, Neen Williams, Brandon Novak, and Chad Muska.” These names will be remembered in skateboarders forever.

In the 90s, Ali Boulala was one of the world's greatest skateboarders. His style was like no others. You could randomly pick any sculpture or terrain, and Ali would find a way to get a slack-jawing trick out of it.

There's another review on Rotten Tomatoes that is slamming sponsors and blaming them for skater's behavior. It’s only 165 words. This is lazy journalism. This isn't even journalism. It's someone who saw the film and based their opinions on skateboarding without knowing the culture. This critic clearly doesn't know how the skateboard industry works. Skateboarders go on tours for skate demos and fan meet and greets. This is their job. Their sponsors are their sponsors, so they have the tools and finances to continue making skate videos and more. They are not their mom and dad holding their hand while on tour. Can you imagine Pepsi following The Rolling Stones around to ensure they are not living their rockstar lifestyle?

THE SCARS OF ALI BOULALA is a cautionary tale on what can go wrong in skateboarding. You can skate for fun, be a pro skater and travel the world, but this important part is skate for fun. Fortune and fame may be nice, but skate because you love it. Just like Ali did.

First-time feature filmmaker Max Eriksson shows us a side of Boulala the general public has never seen before. Working with editor Mikel Cee Karlsson, we get to see a lot of incredible footage the public has never seen before, and it paints a raw portrait of Ali you don't see in skate videos. I was unaware that Boulala suffers from post-traumatic amnesia, which means he doesn't remember much of his skateboarding days, and his right leg is permanently damaged, and it's why he cannot skate ever again.

Boulala has a charismatic side to him. For decades, we've seen him as the wild child. An “I do what I want” pro skater. That was him and the Baker crew (who all got sober sans Dustin Dollin, of course). Still, Ali paid his debt in jail, and he's enduring a lifetime of physical pain, not being able to skateboard for the rest of his life, and wakes up daily knowing he's responsible for one of his best friend's death. Boulala understands this and believes he does deserve all the pain and punishment. His penance for the timeless tragic accident he caused.

Ali is sober now and doing his best with a lifetime of pain he has to endure — the limp that will never allow him to skateboard again, not remembering most of his skateboard career, and is the one who accidentally killed a promising up-and-coming skateboarder Shane Cross — but THE SCARS OF ALI BOULALA showcases how determined Ali is to honor Shane and live a true sober life.

Thank you, Max, for showing a side of Ali we've never seen before. I can't wait to see what you do next.

#ShaneCrossForever