ASK THE DOCTOR
Dr. Rick Blackhart
Dear Dr. Rick:
Is there any way to stay loose during
competition? I've only been in one
contest, but people made me pretty
nervous. What do you suggest?
Dr. Blackhart:
Kelvin Johnson
San Diego, Ca.
Staying cool during heated
competition is tough. You have to
skate your very best and pull off every
move with perfection. It is something
that comes with experience. There are
ways in which you can prepare
yourself though, mentally and
physically. When skating with friends,
push each other to the outer limits of
radicalness. A good practice routine
helps a lot because you can get tricks
wired so that you will not be distracted
by crowd noises, etc., during com-
petition. Always skate to loud rock 'n'
roll as this simulates a contest
situation. Most of all, keep in good
physical shape and concentrate on
your skating.
Doctor,
DRB
I have a half-pipe in my backyard,
which I used to ride 6 days a week. Well,
yesterday the neighbors attacked and
said we couldn't skate anymore, or they
will take us to court. I wouldn't mind, but it
costs big bucks. I do not know what to do.
Do you have any advice?
Dr. Blackhart:
Sincerely,
David Seifried
Deerfield, inois
Well, I'll tell ya, David, almost all
backyard ramps are, of course, going
to be plagued with problems concern-
ing neighbors, dogs and other skate
rats. Finding a good spot to for a
ramp other than in your own backyard
Is tough and usually what started out
as a little quarter-pipe ramp in the
driveway ends up being a full-scale
backyard scatopia. Complete with
stereos blasting and boards flailing
Into the neighbor's yard. That reminds
me of when I had my backyard bowl
and the neighbors came down about
the stereo being too loud late at night. I
Just laid low for a while until they
realized their sour attitudes were
useless. As it happened, my board flew
over the fence one day and killed their
dog so they finally moved.
But, anyway, as far as this court
battle scene goes, I wouldn't worry
about it. The worst thing that can
happen is that you'll have to take it.
down and relocate. It is usually better
to back down in a neighbor against
neighbor situation because your ramp
may not be legal under certain building
codes.
Dear Dr. Rick Blackhart,
DRB
I just received my Thrasher Mag and
read about you on page 42. I'm writing
because I would like you to tell me how
many skateboard magazines there are.
And please give me the address of them.
Please include the price if you know.
Thark you very much. I like what you're
doing and you're a great life saver. God
bless you.
P.S. May I have a photo of you on a
skateboard? I would love to have your au-
tograph.
MINH KHU
Salt Lake City, Utah
Dr. Blackhart:
This is it, Mike. You're tuned in to
the only 100% pure skateboarding
magazine available. And we've only
just begun to give you the radical
coverage. However, there are a few
regional publications that you might be
interested in. Check out: Skate Fate,
4418 Station Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio
45232 for local Cincy coverage. Also
look for: The Alabama Skate Report,
1937 Greenbriar Road, Florence,
Alabama 35630 for the latest on the
Bama scene. I'm sure they would be
happy to send you a copy for the price
of a stamped self-addressed envelope.
Another one you could write to for
news on the UK and the European
action is the Scottish Skateboarding
Association magazine called Skateline.
Available from Dee & lan Urquhart, 16
Scone Gardens, Edin-
burgh, Scotland EH8 7DQ. They would
appreciate hearing from any skaters
out there.
Meanwhile, keep reading and Thrash-
Ing.
DRB
X-APPLE SKATERS...
Our skateboard park is called the
Concrete Oasis and is a mogul-park with
a 10-foot wall with 4 feet of vertical. We
also have a Firestone half-pipe, 16' x 16'
x 16', with 3 feet of vertical on each side.
Sorry we could send no photos (park
closed for the season), but we are
supposed to take some later this month.
Also, I want to thank all of you for
producing such a great SKATEBOARD
magazine that beats the hell out of
Achtung Rag. Your support of the sport is
not going unnoticed in Mid-Ohio.
Please let all the X-Apple skaters know
that there is still one place in Ohio that
has vertical terrain and invite them out for
next summer. The Concrete Oasis is
located just off of Route 33, 2-3 miles
north of Lancaster on Collins Rd. Can be
seen from 33.
Thanks Mucho,
Dean A. Jones III
HUNGRY TO LEARN...
We are very sorry to hear that a lot of
parks are closing in the U.S., because we
originally planned to visit California in the
next year. Now we want to visit all the
good half-pipes, of which there are a lot
here in Germany, and go to the U.K. and
try their parks. The skating energy is on a
high level in Germany, with the German
Championships held a few weeks ago
and all the other contests and the people
who are totally into it. I'm sure that it will
never die. I think your mag is the best
ever. It does a lot for the best and most
radical sport in the world. It would be
great if you would print an article about
new moves and boards. Since we have
our half-pipe, we are hungry to learn new
tricks.
Keep up the good work,
Christian Eggers
West Germany
KEEPING IT ALIVE...
How's it going? Just received my
September issue in the mail and I haven't
come back down to earth yet. The Kona
article was superb, give my compliments
to Mike. I was saddened to find out that
Milpitas and Winchester are now history
because I was going to be out that way
possibly later this year. I am going to send
some photos and an article on the skatin'
in my area. Some shots of my ramp,
downhill, terrorizing one of the malls in
nearby Augusta. It's very, very lame in my
area, but me and two other guys are
keeping it alive, although everyday I'm
seeing more and more street cruising.
Stay rad and keep up the good work.
Chip Creamer
Jackson, South Carolina
DON'T NEED 'EM...
I'm a 19 year old skater from Kent, Wa
(a few miles from Seattle). I've been
skating for 5 years now and ain't never
gonna stop. I've never been to a
skatepark. There used to be a park in
Olympia, but no more. Parks helped thei
sport a lot, but it doesn't need them to
survive. I skate streets, banks and ramps.
The local skate place is a bank called
"Rad Wave." We got a ½ dozert skaters
who skate there. If there are any more
skaters in the area, gimme a call.
Thanx for the Adam and the Ants
review in the May issue. Your Mag is the
raddest.
OUCH...
Stay Rad,
Mario Enriquez
Kent, WA
John Hodges 30 x 10.7 PEDDIE CONCAVE
I am disappointed in Westwood Arenas
here in Toronto. Just recently they filled in
our last skatepark with dirt and plan to
make it into a flower bed. I asked the
owners of the Hockey Arenas why they
had done this and they gave me three
reasons. First of all if someone was
injured they could be sued as no one
patrols the park. Secondly, they were not
making any money as no one ever
bothered to pay. No one ever came to
collect the money, so I think this is unfair.
Lastly, they say that us punk rockers
ripped the fence down. I have no
comment on this other than to say that
they could have left the gate open (only
kidding). I understand the first reason as I
knew the person who caused Toronto's
best park to be destroyed (Markham
Skatepark). He hit his head on the cement
there. (He still skates, by the way). But I
think it is unfortunate that this had to
happen. Now I shall be forced to either
street skate and find new terrain or build a
ramp. I built one earlier but the transition
was poor. I would appreciate an article on
ramp construction.
As for your mag, I think it is Alvamazing!
Your articles are well written. Hopefully,
next summer I'll ride down to California on
my RD 350. Only problem is that it is
illegal in the U.S. Oh well, my subscription
is in the mail-I hope our Post Office in
Canada gets it down to you okay.
P.S-Thrasher: cool name!
Best Wishes,
Steve Belch
You know what you have to do Steve.
Check out the August issue for an article
on ramp building.
ALMOST NO FUN...
-ED
I've sent some photos and some advice
you may want to use in your unusually
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Send $1.00 for mail order
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John Hodges 27x7.5 MCCALL FREESTYLE
WALKER SKATEBOARDS
WALKER
P. O. Box 626 317C OCEAN AVE. (A1A)
MELBOURNE BEACH, FLORIDA 32951
PHONE (305) 723-9420
bitchin mag. I found this pool about one
month ago. It's located in some apartment
complexes. Here's the scam:
-the owner/manager lives fifty miles
away.
EXPLORE! We did and it paid off!
Thanks much,
S.C., Katen, Ray G., Roy W..
Slam, J.R., Sgt. Steve, Gumby
and Pokey
There you go boys. Check out our
be stoked.
-he only visits once a month to collect backyard pool coverage this issue. You'll
the rent.
-the assistant managers, young and
cool as they are, let us skate as long as
we keep it cool, i.e., don't hassle tenants,
vandalize, etc...
-the pool is so rad and such a non
bust it's almost no fun to skate.
So if you're sitting around bummed
because you have no place to skate, can't
build a ramp, whatever the excuse; GO
-ED
Go ahead, gamble a stamp
and tell us where you're at. Tell us
where skateboarding is at! Send
newsworthy items and related
black-and-white photos to
THRASHER, P.O. Box 24592, San
Francisco, CA 94124.