FTC’s Penal Code 100A

The definitive shop video. Directed and edited by Aaron Meza, Penal Code 100A captured raw San Francisco street skating and pioneered the use of classic soul and R&B soundtracks in skate videos — an influence that rippled across the industry for years.

Company: FTC Skateboards (San Francisco)
Released: 1996 
Era: Mid-90s / Raw Street / The Shop Video Era
Featured Skaters: Mike Carroll, Rick Howard, Keith Hufnagel, Karl Watson, Bobby Puleo, Scott Johnston, Max Schaaf, and the broader SF and NYC crews.


Before every brand had a glossy full-length, there were shop videos. And one of the most important ever made is Penal Code 100A.

Released in 1996 as FTC’s second video, this wasn’t a major company production — it was a document of the San Francisco skate scene filmed by Aaron Meza, a young filmer who was simply out there with the crews, shooting what was happening. It captures the city perfectly: Pier 7, the hills, the ledges, and a style of skating that was simultaneously relaxed and technically precise.

The music is what most people remember first. While hip-hop dominated skate soundtracks at the time, Meza dug deep into classic soul, R&B, and funk — Sly and the Family Stone, The Isley Brothers, Van Morrison. It was a jarring and brilliant departure, and it worked precisely because it matched the loose, unhurried vibe of the skating. The Carroll and Howard section runs to Coolio (Carroll’s pick), and Keith “Huf” Hufnagel gets one of the more memorable parts in the video. Bobby Puleo, Scott Johnston, and the broader cast of SF and NYC regulars round out a video that felt like a real community rather than a curated roster.

Penal Code 100A is significant because it proved that you didn’t need a major company behind you to make something lasting. It showed a generation of skaters that picking up a camera and documenting your scene was valid — more than valid, it was vital. The musical influence spread quickly and can be heard in the soundtracks of early Girl videos and countless others that followed. Raw, real, and essential.