MAIL
DROP
Send all info, Compliments and Criticisms
for Mall Drop. THRASHER Magazine,
P.O. Box 24392, San Francisco, CA 94124.
FISHING FOR A SKATE
Skateboarding is a lot of fun, but
again it is a lot of work. Let me tell
you a story. One day I was riding
along the river and hif a rock (I hate
rocks), and my board went bye-bye
into the river in a spot about five feet
deep. The water was cold and high,
so I got some rope and a coat
hanger and went fishing, but I could
not catch it. So I went back in a week
and there it was three feet from the
surface. So I went in and got it. I
dried everything and cleaned it and
it works like a new board. I think
maybe a fish saw me riding my
board and wanted to take a ride. Be-
cause when I pulled it out, the fish
were madder than hell.
This is a true story.
Get crazy.
Larry Ryan
Bomb Bay Skate Team
KEEP A CLEAN SCENE
I'm writing this letter on behalf of
all the skaters who learned from first
generation skaters. Your mag is
great except for your attitude (fuck
everything but skating). I learned
how to skate from a neighbor who is
almost five years older than me.
When he and his friends went skat-
ing, they didn't want to "trash" any
thing or listen to degenerate music
like D.O.A. or Black Flag, they just
I wanted to perfect moves and de-
velop skating as an art and not per-
forming it as an act of violence. So
clean up your act, you hard cores,
because us respectable skaters are
sick of taking the heat from the pub-
lic because of your actions.
Mike Leman
New Carlisle, PA
ON EDGE
I got your November issue and
was checking out the Skater's Edge
article. As a street rider I believe in
plastic because my board takes a lot
of abuse. But when I got to the part
about guard rails and it was said that
they were used to protect the pretty
picture on the bottom, now, get ser
ous, it shouldn't matter what the fuck
your board looks like as long as it
runs good. A scratched up deck
won't hurt your trashing. Get tough
or get out. Skate for yourself not for
the people who watch you.
I think most hardcore skaters
know what I'm talking about.
Skate a daily diet.
Peter Bedesem
Ind., FLA
METALOGY
Listen here, I read the letter from
Dan Lutz in the December issue
about the "Metal Edge" article and
how he says it's cool. For starters, I
hate heavy metal. But is skate-
boarding an elitist fad that only
people who listen to a certain type of
music and wear a certain type of
clothes can do? No way! A skater is
a skater, it's plain and simple, I'm
okay, you're okay, is the way to be.
If you're uptight all the time about
heavy metal skaters, how can you
enjoy skating? But I still think you
guys at THRASHER should stick to
Skate Rock and Puszone. It's way
cool. Well, think about what I said.
Later. Stay rad,
Scott "Weirdo" Camp
Danville, CA
P.S. Skate punx rule to the end
(which might be soon).
WINTERTIME DO'S
AND DON'T'S
In the Midwest, the winter season
is a very slow time for skaters, be-
cause of the lack of time possible to
skate. Winter here brings with it
some spine-chilling words like: cold,
ice, snow, abomination, no skate,
freeze, more snow, death and frost-
bitten body parts. But dedicated
bound skaters don't pout and grovel
Midwest skaters or any other snow-
because they know the snow will
soon melt and they will be skatin' in
full force in no time.
While waiting for the snow to melt,
take a gander at some of these help-
ful hints to assure a skate-oriented
mind.
1. Learn freestyle indoors.
2. Build an indoor ramp.
3. Get a snowboard.
4. Refill subscription to THRASH-
ER.
5. Take a skate vacation to a
warmer climate.
6. Make a skateband and/or
skatezine.
Don't do the following or you will
local skate vigilantes.
be cast out of your skate scene by
1. Don't lay dormant for days and
days.
2. Don't watch TV so mmuch as to
get radiation burns.
3. Don't become a vegetarian or a
homo.
4. Don't fish on thin ice.
5. But most of all, don't go to the
local roller robot disco or you'll be-
come one of them.
P.S. Please print this in the Mail
Drop for inspiration to snowbound
skaters everywhere, so they don't
quit.
ANTI-FREEZE
Bill Miller
Lincoln, NB
Up here in the great white north,
we need those mags. It's winter up
here now, and all we can do is snow-
board. But only four of us, we're still
real hardcores. When we get des-
perate, we do a few snowbank fly-
outs. We have a ramp, but it's taken
down for the winter. That's a real
drag! When it's summer, though, we
are out every day terrorizing the
streets. People just freak right out up
here. They don't know what the hell
we are. But that's just the way it
should be. They really get stoked.
We need lots of sequences of lots
and lots of bio airs. You guys are
doing just fine. More street issues
tool! Keep up the rad issues!
Ying Tom
Ottawa, Ontario
CANADA
OBSCENE
I'm 17 and been skating for years.
I was once a local at Skafe City, and
now live in Johnson City, Ind. I skate
vert (of course). We have a 20 foot
wide, eight foot high halfpipe, which
SEATTLE, WEST SIDE
is hot. There are a few hot ramps in
Well, here I am in Seattle, the
Indy and Ohio. The M.E.S.S. Series
weather sucks but I'm not complainsored and unsponsored riders both
is what's happening here. Spon-
ing. I usually skate with my thrashin'
pal Dean in parking garages and
other covered places when it's rain-
ing.
We have been skating hardcore
now for about six months, there's no
other real skaters in west Seattle,
most of the skaters just skate to be
cool. School's rad! I don't know of
any other school where you could
leave your board in the middle of the
hall, come back six hours later and
have it right where you left it. There's
also a nice bank in front of the princi
pal's office which we shred often. If
you're ever in Seattle, cross the
bridge to west Seattle and ask for
the only two real skaters in the area.
Skate then Die,
Troy
P.S. Dean recently got into grinding
for distance (kind of like bowling for
Jerry's kids).
O-TOWN OH NO!
THRASHER mag is the raddest
since Skateboarder! The sessions
here in Florida are shreddin' espe-
cially in O-town. There's plenty of
terrain to get edgy on. Halfpipes
everywhere, fashion square malls,
vert walls and many other local
spots. The skatin' is blazin' and it's
not just the weather that's hot here
either.
Newish waver madness rules:
Bowie, Police, Talking Heads, Devo.
If you boyz happen to vandalize
Fla.'s terrain in the near future, drop
in the Big-O and get rad with some
O-town rats. Gnarl on the vert. De-
volutionize T.C. and the Rabbit. Ex-
pultation is here. Take it lightly.
The Vandalizing Rat!
John Griffith
Orlando, FL
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN
TO SALINAS?
Hello, I just got your December
issue, good job. I'm writing you from
Salinas, California; it's pretty fun, we
skate streets and ramps (quarter-
pipes). My friend John says he's
gonna build a halfpipe someday, but
he's just saying it, I don't know if he
ever will. I skate mostly with two
other guys, John and Peter, but I
know a lot of other guys who skate.
The skatepunk scene here is pretty
dull but in Pacific Grove and Mon-
terey it's way better. Most of the
people here are clones, rednecks
with super jacked up 4x4 trucks, or
people who think that they're surf-
ers, but they've never even been to
the beach (wannabees). I know of
two halfpipes, but I've never ridden
them. Other than that, Salinas is flat
except for this one little seven-inch
high bank I found, but it's a joke (you
can kinda do grinds on it, but it's not
worth the effort).
ing.
Well, I gotta go! Honestly thrash-
Carl Sutton
Salinas, CA
rip heavily. There are six really
hardcore dedicated skaters in John-
son City. Most people here think if
you like punk or skateboard that you
are obscene or something. We could
care less.
Just some info about the skate
scene in J.C. Skate or die.
ATLANTA RAP
Rober Tayler
Johnson City, IN
The December 83 issue is the
hottest yet. Dogtown resurrected!
Yeah! Lance's ramp article was
pretty thought provoking, good
work, M. Fochel Gator seems to
have too many problems, agreed?
Never mind, he rides well! (under-
statement, obviously) I also enjoyed
the GSD talk with Neil. "The putting
green"? That one gets understood
next week. A note of sadness, the
Roswell Ranch had to be moved
due to the big A-hole building in-
spector. Too bad that ramp was hot!
By partying in Oak Ridge we man-
aged to miss the contest in Roswell,
which my buddy Mike H. won (un-
sponsored). Hey, a trip to Cal is in
the works for summer of '84, so keep
Colton open. One never tires of "no
overseer terrain such as Huntsville
used to be, before getting dozed.
Got to get back to work on my skate
rag, so later,
Alan
Atlanta, GA
HAWK ENTERPRISES
HAWK
CONDOR
KESTREL
HAWK GLOVES
Professionally styled-Quality tested-Durabil
ty proven-Super comfort-Top grain leather
Write or call for our free brochure-To order,
send $15.50, postage paid in the U.S.A, for each
pair ordered (CA residents add 6% sales tax)
Specify size (XS-S-M-L) and color (red, blue,
white, black). Welcome inquiries by distributors,
wholesalers, and retailers, service organizations,
groups, and clubs
HAWK ENTERPRISES, INC.
P.O. Box 20490
San Jose, CA 95160
(408) 268-6466
.
ANYTHING
READY
FOR
SEA FLEX
P.O. BOX 118
DOGTOWN, CA
94924
SEND $100 FOR STICKER & INFO
DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED