1970s Bahne Skateboards T-Shirt - Possibly designed by Jim Evans (a.k.a. T.A.Z.), linked to Cadillac Wheels era
Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2025 11:27 pm
Hi everyone,
I'm looking for help authenticating and gathering information about this original Bahne Skateboards T-shirt, likely from 1975-1976, featuring a barefoot skater performing a low crouch maneuver.
After researching both Bahne Skateboards and Cadillac Wheels, I found that this artwork seems directly connected to artist Jim Evans (Evans Art Studio) - the same artist known for his work with surf and skate brands in the mid-70s, and later famous as T.A.Z. (The Artist Formerly Known as Jim Evans) who did posters for Black Flag, Nirvana, and others.
Here are the connections I've uncovered so far:
1. Visual Similarity:
The graphic on the shirt is nearly identical to the Cadillac Wheels advertisement art from Surfer Magazine, 1974-1975, showing the same crouched skater pose and proportions - which was illustrated by Jim Evans.
2. Historical Context:
Around 1974-1976, Bahne partnered with Frank Nasworthy's Cadillac Wheels to produce the first urethane skateboard wheels that revolutionized modern skateboarding. Evans was creating promotional art for Cadillac Wheels and Bahne's marketing materials during that exact period.
3. Museum Connection:
The California Surf Museum and the Skateboarding Hall of Fame (SHoF) recently used this same image as part of their joint exhibition "Rolling from the 60s into the 70s" which directly references the original Bahne/Cadillac era. This suggests the artwork's deep cultural and historical significance.
4. Rarity:
I haven't found this shirt anywhere online - no archives, no eBay, no collector listings. If this turns out to be an authentic Bahne shop or promotional tee (possibly designed by Evans), it might be one of the very few surviving examples from the birth of modern skate culture.
I'd love to confirm:
Was this design officially commis[/img]sioned rawn by Jim Evans / Evans Art Studio?
Any magazine ad, flyer, or Bahne cataloy ut shows this T-shirt?
Photos attached below. Any help from vintage skate historians or those familiar with the Evans/Cadillac era would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance for your time and expertise!
I'm looking for help authenticating and gathering information about this original Bahne Skateboards T-shirt, likely from 1975-1976, featuring a barefoot skater performing a low crouch maneuver.
After researching both Bahne Skateboards and Cadillac Wheels, I found that this artwork seems directly connected to artist Jim Evans (Evans Art Studio) - the same artist known for his work with surf and skate brands in the mid-70s, and later famous as T.A.Z. (The Artist Formerly Known as Jim Evans) who did posters for Black Flag, Nirvana, and others.
Here are the connections I've uncovered so far:
1. Visual Similarity:
The graphic on the shirt is nearly identical to the Cadillac Wheels advertisement art from Surfer Magazine, 1974-1975, showing the same crouched skater pose and proportions - which was illustrated by Jim Evans.
2. Historical Context:
Around 1974-1976, Bahne partnered with Frank Nasworthy's Cadillac Wheels to produce the first urethane skateboard wheels that revolutionized modern skateboarding. Evans was creating promotional art for Cadillac Wheels and Bahne's marketing materials during that exact period.
3. Museum Connection:
The California Surf Museum and the Skateboarding Hall of Fame (SHoF) recently used this same image as part of their joint exhibition "Rolling from the 60s into the 70s" which directly references the original Bahne/Cadillac era. This suggests the artwork's deep cultural and historical significance.
4. Rarity:
I haven't found this shirt anywhere online - no archives, no eBay, no collector listings. If this turns out to be an authentic Bahne shop or promotional tee (possibly designed by Evans), it might be one of the very few surviving examples from the birth of modern skate culture.
I'd love to confirm:
Was this design officially commis[/img]sioned rawn by Jim Evans / Evans Art Studio?
Any magazine ad, flyer, or Bahne cataloy ut shows this T-shirt?
Photos attached below. Any help from vintage skate historians or those familiar with the Evans/Cadillac era would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance for your time and expertise!