dtograffiti
OZZY
ARIZONA
If you think it gets hot here in the desert in the
summer, you should take a look at the skating
which is blazing all year round. It's true that
there aren't any parks left open in Arizona, but
us hardcore skaters make do.
We in Tucson have a couple of ramps, the
best of which is pictured with the owner, Chris
Stagg, blasting an invert. The ramp is your
typical 10 ft. high by 8 ft. wide with 2 ft. vert and
a flat bottom. It's quite RAD.
Besides ramps there is a local pool, "The One
Hit," which is cool and really a challenge. Also
street stylin' is full on since there is a university
with lots of concrete and a few banks. Skate-
Chris Stagg blasting his ramp in Tucson.
boarding in Tucson has existed for a long time
but so far no exposure has been received. That
is unfortunate since there is some real potential
here. But either way, skating will continue to
thrive in the desert and eventually become
recognized.
Anyway, thanks for helping us keep in touch
with what is happening in the skate scene in
other places.
Keep on Thrashing!
The Boyz of Cactus Town
P.S. Pic by Randy Stahlecker & MUNGAR
STILL LIVES!
CALIFORNIA
I just received the back issues that I ordered,
and have read them cover to cover. I'll be
skating by the mail box awaiting my next issue.
When I was in the service (USMC) I was
stationed at Naval Air Station, Alameda, just a
15-minute BART ride from S.F.I Right about the
time Alameda Skatepark closed, I started
skating vert. Winchester and Milpitas were too
far away or closed. So I built a ramp (4 pipe),
but the squids tore it down because skate-
boarding is prohibited on base. I had found this
room that had been sealed off since the 1940s.
It was just three rooms away from my barracks
room, so I built my halfpipe. Whenever I wanted
to skate, all I had to do was hop out my window
onto the balcony and walk 25 feet and go
through the secret door I built. My skate friends
and I skated it every day for 1% years, day and
night, rain or shine!
So why are you reading this, go skate!
But beware, don't let the squids or jarheads
know it's there or it will be gone before you can
say H-I-S-T-O-R-Y.
Allen Stetzer, Jarhead alide into a fakle on his secret
half-pipe. (We checked it out, It's been destroyed-T-ED)
IDAHO
Enclosed are some negatives from a
reservoir bowl we've been waiting for for
two years and finally it's ridable. Its official
name is the Placer Creek Flood Control
Project, we call it the Mud Shark Bowl. So
far it has cost a million dollars and also will
include a two-mile-long channel when
completed. So far no busts, with just three
of us skating it, but who knows how long
that will last. I would like to thank you guys
for getting me off my butt and skating
again. At 24, my skate rat days are e
but I still like to get out and carve a few
Ines
on weekends. I may not be doing the
latest moves but I'm having fun. Your mag
inspired me to check out an old park about
30 miles from my house over in Spokane,
Wash. It's been closed for three years and
I expected it to be dazed. To my surprise,
it still had one pool, although pretty kinked,
and a banked bowl area that was thrashable.
I showed up on Sunday morning hoping to make
contact with other skaters, but after a chat with
a BMXer who said only bikers ride there,
I thought f--k off and cruised the
bank area for awhile. A little
later I looked up and saw four
skinhead skaters coming in
through the hole in the fence.
I thought they might not even
talk to me since I have long hair, but
I was wrong. They were cool, and they had
come all the way from Walla Walla, Wash.
They blew me out with rad lines and
moves. I took a few pics at that session on
the banks and was ready for pool shots,
but we got kicked out by some old wanker.
Kevin Lamphere
Cataldo, ID
I got out of the Marines in May of 81 and
moved back to So. Cal. I called one of my friends
and he says the ramp is still there.
I also built a ramp across the street from the
base. Some of you skaterz have probably
already ridden it. It's built on a foundation of a
once 7-11 and is next to a billboard. I really miss
No. Cal., my friends and ramps. I was a member
of a few skate parks down here (Skate City and
Pipeline). I love STREETSTYLE the best.
The point I was trying to get across was that
even in an environment where skating was
prohibited, I still did and with style. So go skate
N.A.S. Alameda's indoor skatepark.
Allen Statzer
Alhambra, CA
P.S. Enclosed are pics of me and some friends
at our secret ramp, and our pipe.
SOUTH CAROLINA
I live in Columbia, S.C., and the skate scene
here is definitely cool. My friend has an eight ft.
wide halfpipe in his backyard that the local crew
thrashes daily. I recently made a trip to
Charleston and the skate scene there is pretty
insane. There are many ramps and a closed
park. My friend Joe Hopke's backyard in Mt.
Pleasant is the site of the finest 16 ft. wide
halfpipe in all S.C. The best of the Columbia
crew is undoubtedly Jimmy Leaphart, he totally
shreds and has countless numbers of tricks
wired. Kevin Brumfield and Jimmy Fincher also
ride the ramp frequently. I am also sending you
a picture of Jim Long (he owns the ramp)
floating a frontside air. That's me standing on
the ground totally stoked, Jim landed near the
flat of the ramp!! Please print this letter and
picture. The Columbia crew wants people to
know that the skate scene in Columbia is WAY
HOT! We are not lame wankers, we know how
to adapt to our surroundings.
THANKS,
John May
Columbia, SC
MINNESOTA
Phil Schmid, insured handplant.
Hey, THRASHER, in reply to insuring
skateboard ramps:
In early June, summer of 1981, a high wind
storm swept through New Prague, Minnesota,
leaving behind an "unthrashable" halfpipe. Yes,
folks, "we got the shaft," so I went to my dad (an
insurance agent) and he said, "No problem it's
covered under personal property, son." So an
adjuster came out, looked at what used to be a
nice halfpipe, scribbled some junk on a note pad
and within a week we received $800 for our
ramp (which had four layers of plywood on it)
and we were in business again skating within
two weeks.
Sound incredible? No doubt! So if any of you
out there are wondering about insuring your
cereal bowl, you can call my pappy (Gene) and
inquire as to whether your ramp is covered. By
the way, we built another couple of ramps since
that time and are currently working on building a
ramp in a barn. Sound impressive? No doubt.
Phil "Yes my dad sells insurance" Schmid
And "Woodwaste Manson" (Erik Froland)
P.S. These pictures were sent to be put in your
rad awesome mag, not to sit on some 5tt" shelf.
THEMER
19