Isky Doc Tells the Story of the American CenturyEd IskenderianIt was at least a year in the making and it was a couple years in the distribution, but the documentary on Ed "Isky" Iskenderian is finally out.Starting today, you can get it on Apple TV and Prime. The documentary, called simply Isky, is an hour and nine minutes long but manages to pack the whole story of not only Isky himself, but of the times in which he lived.The Isky story is in many ways the story of the American century. Edward "Isky" Iskenderian was born before the Great Depression. His parents lost their vineyard in the Central Valley of California after several devastating frosts, ending what could have been a career for the young Isky as a winemaker. Instead, the family moved south to Los Angeles, and everything changed.Ed served in the Army Air Corps in World War II and returned home to find a dearth of performance camshafts for hot rods, so he bought a used cylindrical grinder that he converted to a cam-grinding machine, and the performance car world would never be the same.It was said that Isky's cams could get more power out of almost any engine "with no penalty." From his famous 5-Cycle cams to the Ultra Rev-Kits with rollers, Isky cams were the sought-after components for speed, horsepower, and torque. Still are. Hot Rod noted that, in addition to camshaft profiles, Isky designed valve springs, the first High-Density Chilled Iron lifters for Top Fuel cars, and anti-pump-up hydraulic lifters, plus he was among the first to sell cams, lifters, and springs as a matched set. A small-block Chevy with one of Ed's cams was the first to make more than 1 hp per cubic inch.He was also a pioneer in marketing, starting with the famous white T-shirts that said "Isky Racing Cams" in bright-red letters. Those were the hot commodity back in the day.He even offered contingency money to racers who used his products. Don Prudhomme was one of the early beneficiaries of Isky sponsorships, crediting the Camfather with helping get his career going on the drag strip. He also sponsored future racing greats Don Garlits and Mickey Thompson, among many others.He was a founder of SEMA and served as its first president. The list goes on and on.When asked four years ago at his hundredth birthday for his take on being a centenarian, Isky simply said, "It kind of snuck up on me."To what did he owe his remarkable longevity?"I do like onions and hot chili peppers," he said.All that and more are in the new documentary. Well worth your time and money.
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