Send all info, Compliments and Criticisms
fo: Mall Drop, THRASHER Magazine,
P.O. Box 24392, San Francisco, CA 94124.
ALL KINDS
In the same envelope in which I'm
ordering the Skate Rock Cassette,
I'll let you know how I feel about your
mag. Your mag is the greatest when
it comes to keeping the sport to-
gether, but lately that's in question.
By covering two kinds of opposing
music, metal and hardcore, you are
separating groups of skaters. Even
though I'm a punk, I'll skate with any-
body, as long as they're not ass-
holes about music, and that's what's
happening. So, stick to your guns.
You've always promoted one kind of
music, skate rock (hardcore), and it
should stay that way. Things were
fine before.
RAG ON
Tom Baender
Just finished February '84 issue,
what a journalism farce. You guys
are so narrowminded towards other
things that exist besides
skateboarding and punk rock (who
cares about Black Flag) you guys
should cover BMX since it is only
100% more cool than skating. Your
magazine is the total pits, there isn't
another one near as bad. I start
reading your mag when there is
something worth reading in it (BMX,
Duran Duran). Besides who cares
about what new contest some pub-
licity hungry pro like Caballero,
Mountain, McGill has won. It's time
you realize that skating's still dying
but bmx is flying.
Brendan Reilly
Belmar, NJ
Great letter. Good satire is hard to
write, you'd almost think this guy
was serious. T-ed
THRIVING
I'm a 15 year old skater who's
been skating for seven years. I ride
mainly vert and street, but I just or-
dered a freestyle board. Although
our town is small we have a thriving
scene. Most of the many skaters
ride daily on the streets, our ½ pipe,
a new pipe, and an old skatepark
that's in the process of being de-
stroyed but we can still skate there.
There is also a band called
D.A.M.M. (Drunks Against Mad
Mothers). You should be hearing
more about them soon because
they're really good. I think that
Thrasher is the best magazine in
print. It keeps me in touch with the
rest of the skate world. Keep up the
good work. If any skaters happen to
be in my area look me up and we'll
go session. Suicidal Tendencies is
the best band in the world!!
Jamie Madison
Statesville, N.C.
GRINDING METAL
I'm writing to comment on a mail
drop that I read in the March 1984
issue. It was written by someone
who called himself Heavy Metal ska-1
ter. Well I think that guy has got his
own head stuck up his ass. He wrote
to say how heavy metal is here to
stay and punk sucks; that's bogus.
Well if this guy knows anything about
music he would know that Heavy
metal is just a bunch of dick heads in
leather jackets with their tight leather
pants and long slimy hair singing
songs with about four lines that don't
mean shit. Every heavy metal
band's lead guitarists play with a
hack saw. At least punk songs have
some meaning to them and have
more than 5 lines. I suppose this
heavy metal skater gets into Motley
Crue, and Ozzy Osbourne, etc. Gim-
mie a break, those have to be the
worst groups alive. If you want to
hear some real music listen to some
Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, Sex
Pistols, Fear, Plasmatics, Devo and
so on.
P.S. Thrasher, I think your section,
Skate Rock, is killer. I like to see
people thrash. By the way keep
packin' Brookfield.
BACK AT IT
Rick Kahn
Brookfield, WI
I live in Roseville, California and
I'd just like to say, it's got to be the
most boring place on earth. When I
first moved out here I was heavily
into skating. I was all excited about
moving out here because there was
a skate park (Rainbow Wave) 10
mins away from my house. One
week after I moved it closed down,
so I stopped skating, now I'm 18 and
manager of a Skate Rock band
called Skate Nix. So I've started
skating again. I'm into ramps and
street skating. I skate with my friend
Chris who is bass player for the
Skate Nix. Every one of my friends
think you have to be harcore punk to
skate. And they're so closed minded
they have to live like ordinary
people. It really makes me sick. 1
mean I'm a law major in college and
I skate, they think it's stupid well I'd
like to tell them f--k off!! If there any
skaters in Roseville look me up, and
we'll jam around.
Ken Rose
Roseville, CA
P.S. I'd like to say watch out the
Skate Nix are coming.
THE PITT SCENE
If you live anywhere near
Pittsburgh forget about skating the
New Wave skatepark because it's
now a field of dirt. It closed about 3
years ago but was still skated occa-
sionally. The Dormont pool is skate-
able but it's not vert, just wide open
banks, it's located on Banksville
Road. There is a small bowl shaped
bank in a public park near my house,
built back in the "big boom days." It's
fun but it's best to go at night when
there are no gawkers trying to figure
out what you're doing. These
places, along with my ramp are the
only places I know of. If anyone
knows of any other places, please
let me know and come over and
skate. The real enemy kicks ass
Andrew Wozniak
Pittsburgh, PA
AND THAT'S A FACTION)
I am writing a letter in response to
one in your March issue. The letter is
from a guy named "Ripper" and he
thinks that Skate Rock is all punk,
and punk is an "out of tune guitar
and your everyday dumb ass run-
ning his hands across the chords as
fast as he can, not knowing what he
is doing. First or all, Skate Rock is
punk, rock, rockabilly, heavy metal
and anything that skaters like. Mr.
Ripper obviously has a range of
musical tastes that could use some
expanding. Second, my band "The
Faction" plays fast hardcore songs
and slower rock songs and neither is
compromised. Third, I find his refer-
ence to punk guitarists a blatant lie. I
for one know a lot about guitar and
music in general, and I know there
are many fine guitarists who know
more than me (Suicidal Tendencies
guitarist, John compares to the likes
of Hendrix and Eddie Van).
Lastly I'd like to say that people
who like both heavy metal and punk
are not fake rockers. At least they're
not afraid to admit to their taste in-
stead of condemning punk or metal
'cause it's not what their friends like.
As a final note, who cares if its punk
or metal. It's fast. It's loud. Either join
in the fun, or get out of the way!
LET 'EM BE
Thanx
Adam Bomb
"The Faction"
I've only been a skater for a
couple of months, but I've still come
a long way, much faster than I ex-
pected anyway. I love the art of skat-
ing, and my board is with me any-
way. Unfortunately, this love affair
with my board has made the vice-
principal at my high school a lit-
the...well, upset. The authorities at
school have never really seemed to
appreciate pointed pieces of wood
with little wheels underneath upon
which persons not of the "clique"
travel across the ground and even
through the air at unimaginable
speeds. This, I have never under-
stood and also have never really
tried. The only real problem I have
with all this is that many many skat-
ers and skate punks get miffed
about the authority and say mean
and often times vulgar things to and
about them. Thus, it becomes a vic-
ious circle, they hate us, we hate
My solution to this is why don't we
just let assholes be assholes and
skaters and skate punks be skaters
and skate punks. Just treat them like
a big dog-rather than pull his tail,
throw him some meat. I don't mean
kiss ass, just don't bother them and
they won't bother you.
Keep slammin' or start jammin'
James D. Fennel
Red Bluff, CA
WATERLOG
Since reading about that kid who
got his board out of the river after a
week, I have new hope for my old
board. My board is suspected to be
in the bottom of Jeff Rothenberg's
pool. He is very big so he's got a big
pool. Well we were skating and
think I left it in the pool. Jeff's dad
filled the pool overnight and I haven't
seen it since. Now the pool is co-
vered with ice and one ife has al-
ready been lost trying to retrieve it.
Jeff's trusty dog Flash fell to a watery
grave after the ice caved in under
him.
Now we have the professionals
on our side. Jacques Cousteau and
his vessel the Calypso are docking
in town tomorrow. Results of the
quest will be cabled to you.
Mark Duane
Flushing, N.Y.
Our deepest regards to Jeff on the
loss of the Flash pup. T-ed.
JUSTICE OBTAINED
I keep hearing all the skaters com-
plaining-that the cops are unfair,
etc. Well, I just witnessed true justice
in action. Me and my brothers were
down in Springfield at a closed park
called Alli-Skater, the pool and
snake run are filled with dirt, but the
banks are still shreddable. Anyway,
next door to it is a White Hen Pantry.
Apparently some BMX'ers (cough,
cough) stole some empty soda bot-
tles and wre bringing them in to col-
lect the deposit, some old bettie saw
them and called the cops. We saw
the rug-rats go in with the bottles
and a minute later, being arrested by
two cars of policemen. God, did we
laugh! Finally, justice is obtained!!
Any skaters in the Springfield,
Bloomington, Peoria area, get in
touch-we got a halfpipe and plenty
of places to skate.
Chopper Stepe
Eat Peoria, IL
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