Photagraffiti
JAPAN
This picture shows the all
Japan skateboard champ
ionships which were held at
Nagoya Rollerland last year.
The skater in the picture is
Isamu Furukawa, who won the title in bowl
division, his age is 16. He has been a no. 1
skater in Japan for these two years.
He will probably be able to be ranked within
the ten top skaters in amateur in the U.S. He is
very eager to come to the U.S. and join contests
in the future.
HASE
MISSISSIPPI
Last summer I was forced to move to
Mississippi from San Francisco, that sucked!!
was the drummer for KARNAGE and we ripped.
When I moved out here I found what I expected
to find, nothing. The guys I hung around with
began to be interested in my constant skating.
They all dug through their closets and retrieved
several old Santa Cruz 5-plys and Logans. This
set the process in motion. It was not long before
they all had D.P.'s and 169's. Then we built a rad
% pipe, and within weeks Darrell Poole (Rex
Riot) was blasting grinds and airs. Rob Howland
(Luis Lewd) wasn't doing too bad himself. These
guys began to skate everyday, all day, and
that's all they ever want to do. Bitchin' eh? We
make occasional trips to "The Getaway," in
Alabama (3 hours away), and shred every local
spot available. We just completed a new pipe,
9' tall, 16' wide, and are in the process of
making a ½ pipe. There are many local
backyard pools with perfect transitions that we
terrorize frequently. The towns are filled with
banks, slopes, hills, and every other thing
imaginable. It seems like Mississippi was made
for skaters. We also have a gnarly band called
The Columbus crew on their quarterpipe
Photo Jeff Orr
SKATE OR DI
Shredding an Andrecht, Hawaiian style, is Troy, age 23.
HAWAII
The deal on the park is that it is a city park
Free to the public, for rollerskating and
skateboarding, it can handle about 80 people to
120 at a time.
The city doesn't require safety gear, but
mostly everybody wears it. The highlights of the
park are 2 banks, 8 ft. high each side and ready
to challenge the best. So for beginning it has
small banks 10 inches over vertical in the very
center barks. The flat surface of asphalt is
perfect for freestyle and it has polished concrete
on the outsides
AALA park in Honolulu and the new halfpipe built by the kids. Notice extended lip on the old AALA banks in background.
Really a great, fun, free, park. City has about
12,000 kids signed up and 250 regulars daily.
They come from all over the islands. As the
AALA International Skate Park is the only park
for all Hawaiian Islands. Cobra is across from
the skatepark with a roller rink in front of the
shop. The skaters also skate around the River
Walk mall, which is wide open and has benches,
bathrooms, popcom, sodas, and goes for four
blocks. Five times around equals 1 mile. A large
patio in front makes for great freestyle.
The Hawaiian Assn. for rollerskaters and
skateboarders also support the skaters of
Hawaii. To promote the sport to an inspirational
future in skating.
If any skater visits Hawaii, it is a must to stop
in and rap with Cobra, who's inspiration has
added to a growing sport.
The pictures are a part of the hot times these
skaters have for free.
Cobra has promotional programs for free
rollerskating and skateboarding on our products
so purchases don't have to be made.
We appreciate this chance to turn on the
thousands of skaters out there, so write for info
on the park and promotional programs for
members. Send self addressed stamped
envelope...
Cobra Skateboards
P.O. Box 27908
Honolulu, HI 96827
Mahalo-Paul Mattis
BELGIUM
I write you from Belgium, here, the skateboard scene is not too good
but I have built a ramp and we take a lot of fun with some friends on it (10 ft.
radius, 10 ft. high, 12 ft. wide, 8 ft. of flat bottom, and a platform, see the
photo). Ramp is the only alternative here. We have no pool and the few
cement parks are shitty. Street skating and freestyling are also a very
fun solution (but we must keep attention to the cops).
THRASHER Magazine is really good, rad, # etc....but please
keep BMX and all that kind of thing out of it. Don't make the same
mistakes "ACTION NOW" & "SKATEBOARDER did. I've just received
your February issue. There are very good photos and the article "Ramp
Raising" is very well done and explains the "how to do it very well.
As I come to California this summer, I'd like to ask you two things.
First, could you send me some addresses where I could skate in
California (in the area of Los Angeles) skateparks, ramps, etc....
Secondly, I want to ask every California skater who reads this and is
living near L.A. if he would be interested in receiving me a few days or
weeks to his home (we could do an exchange, I'm 19 years old, I'd like to
skate, surf, sandboard, or anything that is radical).
I'd be very grateful to THRASHER MAGAZINE if you could print this
letter because I'd like to spend my summer skating and/or surting with
skater/surfers.
Keep up the good work,
WEST GERMANY
Here they come (the photos!). Yeah!!! They're
not as good as I thought they would be, but
they're ok.
I'll make some more photos and sequences
when the weather will be hotter (two months),
and I'll send you a much better sequence of that
360° press flip. (Believe me, I couldn't do it on
that board! I got a new board now and doing
that trick perfect now again.) I'll use a
better winder then. I'll do that article
and I'll choose a nice background
for the photos.
So that's all for now. It would
be nice if you print one or some
of the photos.
Christian Seewaldt
WEST GERMANY
Pol Philippe Castagne
25 Rue De La Chenaie
4930 Chaudfontaine
BELGIUM
Skate crazed Jake Meggers, backside flailler, Photo Darrell Poole
"Constructive Destructive," we blaze massively.
We skate to J.F.A., Circle Jerks, D.K.'s and all
other S.F. hardcore. Alfred B. says "Skate or
Diel Thrash on ! Skate crazed punks rule!
Jake Moggers
Columbus, MS
T-shirt art. Photo Jake Meggers
Pol-Philippe Castagne's ramp in Belgium
West German Christian Seewaldt Mip, step to rail type move.