MAIL DROP
GOODBYE WINCHESTER
Dear THRASHER
just picked up your magazine
at, of all places, a Record Factory
in San Jose. As you all probably
know, Winchester Skatepark has
said goodbye for ever. I myself am
not a skateboarder, but appre-
ciate rad skating and good pho-
tography. I used to take pictures of
locals whenever i
I had t
the
It was fun. People like Cory O'Brien
Caballero, etc. Now that there is
no local park to go to I was glad
to read e about the upcoming
contest in Capitola. Thanks for the
info. I also liked the RB. interview
and am glad that the mag is
getting widespread publicity.
Here's a buck for a sticker and
button
Dear THRASHER
-Howard Ogawa
San Jose, CA
fm really into skating in a way
it's my life right now. I was a
member of Winchester but recently
it closed. When I heard that dread
ful news almost died. I think a
I park is just as important as a
public library or post office. In a
way
I feel frustrated because
nobody cares about skaters-it's
sort of cruel I wish the owner of
Winchester had a son or daughter
that s
skated and could tell them
how fun and gnarly a park I just
seems so stupid to put up another
apartment complex over that
gnarly park The world doesnt
need another lame apartment.
the world needs at least one park
There used to be three here, now
there aren't any. Rumor has it that
a park might be opened in San
Mateo-NEW HOPE! At least there
are streets and ramps. We are
skaters, we are the gnarliest and
we have to stick together and
work with each other. That's the
only way to bring skating back to
fe
Thank you THRASHER for hanging
on and not selling out to fads that
will die. Skating will always be
around
Thanks for your time and effort
Adam Topol
San Francisco, CA
THRASHER MAG
I've sent three rolls of
undeveloped film that a friend
and I took of the clozed and
dozed buldozer syndrome of
Milpitas and Winchester
skateparks
Both parks were well built in
my opinion, but Victoria
(Milpitas) closed because they
had no insurance and was unat
tended. The owner wanted to
let
the kids and punks skate
there for free with no rules but
the Santa Clara County (aka
Medfly Co.) Short told the
owner, "either buldoze or we
will at your expense." So the
owner had no choice
Winchester closed because
the higher lease could not be
paid. So the same syndrome
took care of that park and
beloved keyhole
Now, my friend has a % pipe
ramp and I'm building a ½ ppe
(ke featured in THRASHER) with
the keyholes extra coping that's
unused
-Paul Andrakin
THRASHER
Saratoga CA
Ive been skating a long time
and I think it's a rad sport and it's
never going to die. I was a member
of Winchester skatepark until they
recently closed down. Two others
have already closed down and
that really sucks. I really think this is
di hope
a gnarly mag and you
interview some groups like Black
Flog Circle Jerka, and stuff i ko
that I wish they would keep a
skatepark open or make
because there is no place to
skate in Can y you tell me when a
skatepark is going to open Your
pictures of skaters are really rad
PS Punk Rules
one
Earl Ven
San Francisco CA
DEAR THRASHER
Your mag is great. There is on-
ly one problem, don't fake Wild
Riders of Boardz out. Don't Isten
to those geeks out there that
are telling you to take it out.
They can Hope-it. In Fresno,
Duane Peters and Steve
Caballero rule. We had a
skatepark, but it was torn down
Get some interviews of DP. and
Steve C
Street Skater
-Brian Ramos,
Fresno, CA
PS. In Fresno, your mag really
blazes
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MAIL DROP
Dear THRASHER
I just got back from a trip to
Seattle, where I got a look at
some of the hottest stroot
skating have ever seen When I
got back from Seattle (live in
the San Francisco Bay Area in
Mowingove my local
skatepark, Winchester a call and
it was closed. This really gets me
pissed off, I mean I never got a
chance to thrash there, and
had set up a weekend when I
would go down there
Why are of the parks closing?
I mean it's not like skating is
dead, yet all the parks are clos
ing I'm sick of seeing all the ver
tical spots close down There's a
guy l
y I know whose trying to set
up a half-pipe in Mil Valey, but
the city won't let him, and in-
surance costs a a fortune. Look, I
have nothing against street
skating but vert can't be beat. If
there is anyone who is willing to
help me build a half-pipe ramp.
call me, the numbers in the
book under my mom's name.
YOUR MAG IS RAD
Keep Skatin
Tim "Boom Boom Howard
San Rafael CA
PS. If there are any ramps in
Marin let me know.
Dear THRASHER
The recent closings of Cherry
Hill and Apple skateparks are a
real downer, Just when I began
enjoying vert skating all of the
Eastern spots shut down
Now I'm located in California
and recently h
I've visited the
Marina del Rey skatepark. It
totally ripped. The Dog Bowl
rulez. Now I'm totally stoked
about Western vertical terrain
when the vippy behind the
will
counter tells me that they
close in a month also. This really
sucks, but the world is not over
yet
The world is over when
there is no such thing as street
skating. Street skating will always
be there because there will
always be a street. You can get
a whole new thril exploring new
terrains and ripping up the en-
vironment. Hanging out on the
local strip, curb grinding with
start with Charles, just your average
guy
he got his first pair of street-
skates Boom. Suddenly we have a
way rad roller. Something afflicted
Joe, Karl, John and Me. Yes, there
a life after rink rolling The
There's
stremoon w
up the streets and
spiral parking garages (and let's
not forget the courthouse and
police station with their gnarly
banks and ramps And
And don't we
all just love to temorize Ittle old
ladies on the boardwalk? There's
also vertical skating. We have a
few vort 87 boys and 1 girl
in Texas. So far I
know of
of about
I'm not complaining, I'd just like
to
see more rollerskate ramp riders.
Especially girls. It's hard to g
go to a
contest and have to skate against
the guys. This might also change
after the e Texas summer series, but I
doubt it. I think if all the skate-
d rollerskaters stick
r instead of w
olive and
we can i
keep skating wor
well. For sure we can when we
have great mags like THRASHER
You're absolutely the best keep it
up. And to all you 4 and/or 8
wheeled skators skate rad and
party hearty...Bye Yall
COMIC CHALLENGE
THRASHER
Rod Lady Roller
CC. Texas
Note: I would appreciate it
heavily if you would print the
entire contents of this letter. This
letter is addressed to one Jose
Marin of Miami, Florida-one of
the three winners of the April '81
Comic Contest
Jose Your drawings were cool.
but can you do
you do sequences? If so, I
would like to challenge to a full-on
comic skate-off be entering
two of my best Vanalvas (also are
called skate r rats,
but no Mickey
Mouse these two) named Charlie
and Steve, for Bowl Freestyle and
Doubles versus your best."
contest will involve entire routines
Ifrom
first drop-in to the last roll-out)
all the tricks in the book plus
using all the tricks
a few of your own. You can use as
many
the pieces of paper and poper
Here are i
your custom paint job skate can of a 7) as you wish
be totally gratifying in it's own
rite.
So I'm tired of those faggots
bitching about how their
skatepark was ripped down
Tomorrows skateparks le in the
streets, the backyard ramps.
and in the imaginations of the
skaters of the 80's.
Take to the streets and have
a shredding day.
-Mark Duane
Pacific Palisades, CA
RAD ROLLER ACTION
THRASHER
I know you and most of your
readers are totally into skate-
boarding, Great But... let me tell
you about a few radical
Rollerskaters down south here in
Texas. Now I know what every
body's thinking BooHiss Just hold
onto your boards for a minute. N
choices or suggestions
of a pool the Holiday (square
pool Bowl at Colton or the Combi-
Pool of Upland
at
I would also like to call on either
MOFO" of KT
or KT. to judge the contest
if possible, 'cuz Jose and I will be
prejudiced toward our own art.
works. This could be accomplished
by making two xeroxed copies of
the original and sending one
copy to the judge and the other
to the opposing artist. Most impor-
tant: no one else is invited to join
in
So, it is left up to you, Jose
Well? await your answer
Thrasher Rulez
WC. Gutman
4236 Karensue Ave
San Diego, CA 92122
This guy sounds serious Jose. You
better take him up on this chal
longe if not look for a monthly
Comic Confest in future issues of
THRASHER
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